Persona 3: Never to Leave
by Hoshi no Ookamiden 217
Summary: The legendary Minato. We all know his story. But, that story is pretty old news. No. Let's look into a completely different story. This is a story in which Minato and his sister's destinies were changed for sure after they met that one person... This is a story, where the pain, action, love and drama are taken to new limits like none before. You were warned...
1. Them Changes Be Trippy

_Italics - dates or music_

Underline - Communicator

**Bold - Persona or Social Link**

* * *

I stumbled out of my heated up car. I don't know what's happening, but someone just tell me what happened to my parents… And my sister…! I pulled the door open, unstrapping my sister out of her seatbelt and getting her out. Sure, I can do that… My face paled as I saw shards of glass stuck into the coffins, where okaa-san and otou-san were. They were gone. It felt like my heart and soul was ripped in two, and thrown in a dump like nothing. I checked my sister's pulse. Oh god, yes. She's still breathing, and her pulse isn't going haywire or anything. I relaxed a tiny bit.

Her eyes fluttered open, revealing her ruby red irises. "Onii-san…! What happened to okaa-san and otou-san!?" I looked down at the concrete. My shoulders started shuddering. "Minako… they're…" Minako's eye started filling with tears that wouldn't fall. They stayed in, teetering on the edge of her ducts. Finally she buried her face in my chest. I felt it slowly getting warm.

I huge roar interrupted us. I felt this impulse… that I wanted to get away. But…! Minako looked up too, her eyes red from crying. Her expression turned from sadness to shock. "Onii-san…! Let's get out of here!" I pulled her along the sidewalk on the edge of the Moonlight Bridge. The shrill cries wouldn't stop.

I saw that black thing charge at me, and a white figure with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes chasing after it. The white figure seemed to have noticed us. Minako stood stock still. The black thing charged at me, and to be sure; I felt this oppressive aura coming off it. I pulled Minako behind me. Minako begged me to get out of the way, but I wasn't going to just leave her.

I didn't have time to react when my arm was sliced off. I gritted my teeth, cursing under my breath. Oh if they were still alive they'd probably shove a bar of soap in my mouth. The white figure fired a strange beam at me, coloured white. It exploded between the black monster and me, and a chain formed between the two of us; one connected to my heart, the other connected to the middle of the monster's chest.

I felt the chain tugging away at my heart, begging to get away. So I pulled it closer. The monster was surprised. It wouldn't hurt anyone else.

As if in reply, I heard a low noise, slowly vibrating. Almost like some twisted laugh.

_I will lend you my powers, boy. Be ready._

I heard a low chuckling in my mind. For what?

_Form this contract and accept responsibility for your actions._

… If it means Minako won't die… I accept.

I heard the chuckling in my head again. The black monster in front disappeared in a red mist. The white figure collapsed. Now, to do something about my arm. And Minako. She gave me a huge hug when I sat down on the ground. "Onii-san…! You're ok! That was so scary…" I rubbed her back with my one arm. "What are you going to do though?"

"One thing is for sure. I'll protect you." I gave her a smile. She continued hugging me, until she fell asleep. The green tinted world I had encountered fell away, and things turned back to normal. The police were called and the ambulances mobilised. The police asked me some questions, but I couldn't really tell them the truth about what just happened. They'd think I'm nuts.

I wondered who was going to look after Minako and I as the nurses bandaged my stump of a left arm. The police took me and Minako to the police station. After a few hours, a woman with brown skin and curled black hair appeared. Glasses hung off the hem of her sweater. Who is this?

She went to the counter of the station, and I saw them go into the back, seemingly discussing something. After a few minutes, she reappeared. "So, what's your name kid?"

"Minato. This is Minako." I looked towards her sleeping figure. Oh boy, she's drooling already. "Well, I'm Haruno Terasu." She said with a bit of a huff. "So, you kids don't really have any living relatives." I nodded. "Well then, how about you live with me instead?" I pondered it for a bit. We would certainly need someone to look after us. And we don't really have any uncles or aunties. I held out my hand with a smile. She shook it, satisfied by my answer.

* * *

"Minako! Come on sleepy-head." She scrambled off the bed off in surprise. "Onii-san!" She hugged me again. This time, not out of worry though. Terasu-san walked in. "Onii-san? Who's that?" She said with a smile at Terasu-san. "This is Terasu-san." She took it in. She nodded to herself. She held out her hand, ready for a shake. "Thank you Terasu-san!" After that, she took a full bow. "It's no worries. I've been looking forward to having you guys around." She led us to a counter through a corridor. "This is my shop." Minako looked around in wonder at the several gems stacked in the drawers. I looked around in the other side of the counter. There were several things like dolls, antiques and knick-knacks that I just didn't know what to do with. "What do you do Terasu-san?" I asked.

"I run an antique and gifts shop. I trade gems for certain bits of merchandise." I nodded. I looked around in another drawer. There were funny-looking cards with black and white faces on the back of them. Minako was still busy with the gems. "What are these cards?" Terasu-san smiled. "It's something I'll talk about with you later." She bent down and whispered close to me, "While Minako is asleep." I nodded slowly, and looked at Minako again. Still busy.

_Late Night_

"Now Minato. You still remember that night." I nodded. "Vividly."

Terasu nodded grimly. "That night. You gained the potential."

"Potential?" What is that even? "Potential. When you get potential, you can awaken something. This is a Persona." Ok… "A Persona, simply put is a facet of your soul which rises to protect you when you react to certain stimuli. This stimulus is normally, _danger. _However, there is another way to help awaken."

"What other way?" Terasu-san asked, "Do you want to see your Persona?" Truly curious. "Sure…"

"Ok then. Think of harmony. Pure harmony. Calm yourself completely." I nodded. I closed my eyes. I emptied my mind as much as possible. I felt something warm wash over my body. It was a pleasant warmth.

**Thou art I… And I am thou.**

**From the sea of thy soul, I awaken.**

**With our harmony, we can protect the ones you love.**

**I am Orpheus, master of strings.**

I heard a shattering of glass. Terasu-san's eyes widened. "I didn't think you could get that on the first try. It's normally very difficult to awaken, let alone summon a Persona."

I looked behind me.

It was a metallic figure, grey aqua in colour. Almost silver. His hair was a white, and his face was pitch black, red eyes shining through. It had a ragged red scarf and a silver lyre on it's back. His limbs were attached by metal balls which acted as it's joints. It's stomach was something like a speaker…

It disappeared in a blue light. "Orpheus-san. That's my Persona?"

"Yes." Terasu-san soon gave me a satisfied smile. "Now. Those cards that you saw in those drawers are special cards, containing magic and power. What I really do is trade gemstones for these cards, and fuse Personae to weapons." My mind went still. "Would doing this help protect Minako?"

"You catch on quick. I'd like to teach you how to fuse Personae to weapons among other things."

"I want to learn."

Terasu-san gave me a satisfied smile. "Then. You should go to sleep early. A room of blue will be coming in your dreams." My eyebrow quirked. Blue room? Huh.

I soon fell asleep feeling calm and still.

I probably did start dreaming just then, because I ended up opening the door to a blue room filled with power. There were two chairs in front of me. And I was sitting on a chair with a lyre for a back. One chair was filled by a man in black attire. His eyes were bloodshot, his nose long, like Pinnochio, his ears elf-like and his head balding with a few wisps of white hair.

The bigger and more extravagant chair was filled with a man in a black bodysuit, his face covered by a mask shaped like a blue butterfly. His brown ponytail was the only thing aside from his body shape that I found human.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Philemon. This is my assistant, Igor." The black suited man gestured towards Igor. Igor took over. And boy, his voice sounds cool and mysterious. For an ojii-san anyway. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require our help to do so."

"I've taken an exceptional interest in you, Master Arisato. From now on, you are a Valued Guest in the Velvet Room. It has been years since we've had a guest with as much potential as you. Perhaps even more than the last." Philemon explained. Hm. 'Master'? Rolling with it. "Only those that have formed the contract can enter this place. You made yourself an exceptional contract; a contract with the one and only Death." I jerked back in my seat a little. I made a contract with…_Death_?

"I am granting you access to some other rooms in this realm. Use your powers wisely." I nodded slowly at the man with the butterfly mask. "One of my other assistants will show you the other facilities next time you come here, of your own accord."

A dark blue key fell into my hand. It was warm, and it gave a sense of calmness, and serenity. The end of the key that you held was a circle, with a man carrying a stick with a pack, being followed by a dog and about to walk off a cliff. That seemed awfully… foolish if anything. I looked up at the two men. "Do not lose it, Valued Guest. If you want to find us again, merely find the door. It is very close by…" I imagined the face behind the mask giving me a smile, but I couldn't put my finger on what type though. "Now… you should probably get some sleep. Goodnight, Master Arisato." With that, the room faded into blackness.

I know what Terasu-san what is talking about now. It was really blue.

* * *

I woke up, and my imoto was still asleep. She was always a deep sleeper. I smiled to myself as I walked to the counter. "Oh. Hello, Minato." I gave her a smile. "Good morning, Terasu-san." She smiled back and gestured to the table which was set out. On which I noticed omurice. I was extremely excited to see it. I nodded vigorously at Terasu-san and ran back into our bedroom. After a few seconds, Terasu-san noticed me dragging Minako through the corridor. She still had a bed-head even… Terasu-san giggled at the sight; a brother dragging his lazy sister out of bed.

Minako immediately perked up at the sight of the omurice on the table, and almost began eating it before saying 'itadakimasu!' She took up her spoon and fork, and took a bite. She immediately reached for more. "Wow! You cook really great okaa-san!" I looked at her disbelieving for a split second. It wore off quickly, so I looked at Terasu-san. She looked like she was trying to suppress tears from falling from her eyes. I soon took a bite too. "Minako's right. You're a great cook, okaa-san." She walked over and hugged us close to her. Minako and I couldn't stop smiling. An unlikely family, but a family nonetheless. I felt a pulse from Minako wash over me. Okaa-san stopped hugging us, and looked at me happily. "Looks like, we all have the Potential." I commented.

My imoto looked at me in wonder. "Yes. We all do."

"What is po-ten-shial?" Minako asked, trying to say the word. She was a bit younger after all. "Potential lets you awaken to something called a Persona. A Persona is something that you can call to protect you from danger." Minako mulled it over. "Like… onii-san?"

"Yeah. Kinda like onii-san, but it's a lot more powerful and cooler than me."

"No-one is cooler than okaa-san and onii-san!" She said, beaming. I rubbed the back of my head embarrassingly. Okaa-san smiled at her funny comment.

"Want to see it?" Okaa-san asked. Minako got really excited. "Do I!?" Okaa-san patted her shoulder. "Now, now. First, you have to become calm. Maybe, you could even think about something happy. It will make it easier to see."

Minako nodded and closed her eyes shut in determination. A blue aura surrounded her.

**Thou art I, and I am thou.**

**From the sea of thy soul, I awaken.**

**With our harmony, help the ones you love.**

**I am Eurydice, mistress of strings.**

It looked a lot like Orpheus-san, but her armour was coloured gold instead of teal silver, and her hair was long, flowing, and a bright shade of auburn. The lyre she held on her back was more heart-shaped, but the scarf she wore was the same shade of scarlet.

It disappeared in a blue light.

"Wow! Eurydice-chan looked pretty!" She flew into my chest, wrapping her arms around me in a hug. "Orpheus-kun and Eurydice-chan look great together!"

"You can see my Persona?"

"Yup! It looks really cool, but Eurydice-chan is cuter!" She remarked, clearly proud of herself. "Now… Minato. Do you want to start _that_ training?" Okaa-san asked. I nodded with a smile. Minako was really curious about what we were doing, and tagged along with us to a back room filled with swords, katanas, maces, gloves, and other things that I couldn't really recognise. They were all jet black in colour, begging for another half to fill them. "Minato, this is our forge. This is where we can fuse weapons with Personae." I nodded. And Minako was just looking around at the empty weapons. "To create weapons with Personae fused into them, you need special weapons called 'nihil' weapons." I took that information in.

"These weapons are weapons without other halves. They hold their physical form, but they don't have that _soul _put into them, if you will."

"Is it like how when people put a lot of work into that weapon, and they say they put their 'heart and soul' into it?"

I received a warm smile. "Yes. That is what it is like. Nihil weapons have space for one more thing in them. With Personae, you can give it to them, bringing them new life." Weapons as friends? The stronger the partner, the better the sword. That makes sense. I even found it a little admirable. Giving these weapons a new chance, I mean. Okaa-san obviously caught on to the amount of admiration that was pouring out. Her smile from before widened.

"Well, now. I wanted to ask Minako something."

Minako snapped to attention once she heard her name. "Now, you don't have to do anything that I'm going to be teaching your onii-chan, so. I can teach Minako-chan about something different, or she can help Minato." The constant changing of terms was a little funny actually. "Can I learn something different?" I breathed a sigh of relief. Looks like she might be doing something a little safer.

I followed the two of them, and they started discussing about things called Skill Cards.

"Skill cards contain special powers when you use them. Here we usually trade gemstones for them." Minako nodded vigorously. "I'm going to teach you how to make Skill Cards!" Minako brightened up, though… She's always pretty energetic. "Skill Cards need to be made with the help of your Persona. You can make different ones, depending on the Persona you use. Some of them will even be able to make them naturally, and you won't have to do anything. All you have to do is infuse these cards with the skill you want to make." That seems easy enough. And Minako understood too.

Okaa-san closed her eyes, breathing out gently. She took one of the blank cards that were on the table, and it started floating in her hand. She muttered something that sounded like a foreign language, and a blue flame surrounded the card. The card then floated back down into her hand. She gave it to Minako to take a look at. "Ga-ru?" Minako tried reading.

Okaa-san nodded. "Okaa-san, what's your Persona?" I asked.

"My Persona is called Hera." I concentrated on Okaa-san's heart, and then a faint silhouette appeared behind her. It was a pretty woman with flowing blonde hair and a floaty-looking toga. Several vines and flowers were wrapped around her shoulder and torso, and the last thing I noticed was her eyes. They were a green-blue, fluctuating between the two colours. "It looks really pretty."

"Well then, Minako. Do you want to try this instead of what your brother is doing?" Minako snatched a blank card from the counter, and it began to float in her hand. Blue flames surrounded the card in a twisting motion and it finally began to shine a steady cyan colour. It floated down into her hand. "Bu-fu? These are funny names!" She continued smiling. "For now, Minako I want you to try making ten more of that same skill." My imoto happily obliged and grabbed a bundle of blank cards from the table.

"Minato, let's go back to the forge." She led me back to that room.

"Now let me demonstrate. This is a bit trickier than making a skill card." She took out a glowing blue card from her pocket and lifted one of the empty swords off the wall. "Not only that, but it takes longer." She grabbed a hammer from a bench, and laid down the card and the sword on the anvil. "You can use a skill card called Agi to heat up the items, then you simply smash them together. But, from what I can see your Persona already has Agi." I guessed that Agi had something to do with fire. Okaa-san activated the Agi Skill Card by crushing it in her hand, and the once black sword took on a glowing red colour. She smashed what I assumed to be a Persona card into the softening parts of the red sword. She smashed it repeatedly, until the sword was covered in a blue light. She dipped the sword's blade into a bucket of water, and it gave off a satisfying hissing sound.

"Have a look at it." She gingerly handed the sword into my palm. "What Persona did you use?"

"It's just one of the spare ones I had. It has the spirit Jack Frost in it now. A sword needs a name you know." I looked down at the sword, staring hard into the cold white blade, and I swear I saw a white fairy wave at me in the reflection. "Frostbite." The pale fairy did a small backflip in joy.

"That's a good name for it. This is the sword Frostbite." Okaa-san christened the new sword. I felt what I thought was frost nipping at my skin as I held it in my hand. "Maybe I can try when I get more Personae. I don't really want to use Orpheus yet." Okaa-san nodded, and we headed out of the forge. Minako was sitting on a chair, drooling. And there was a pile of card stacked up on each other. I have the feeling that there was more than ten there. I picked her up and laid her on her bed. "Looks like she ran out of SP. You need lots of Spiritual Pressure to make this many. She's just exhausted." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"At midnight, we're going to gather some supplies. We need to get stronger so that we can make some better stuff. It's also a chance to gain some new Personae for all of us to use."

"Where are we going?"

"Gekkoukan High."

I mulled it over, thinking about could possibly be at Gekkoukan High School. And also, at late night the world turns green and stuff. I really have to wonder. I'm just worried because I still have to protect Minako. What with only one arm… I don't know what to expect.

I nodded after a few seconds.

And I went outside into Paulownia Mall. I could sense something hidden in the back alley, just like in the dream. I cautiously went down the alley, and spied a blue door. What's with all the blue? I sighed, and opened the door.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." A feminine voice addressed me. I looked around for the source of the voice, and found myself looking at the only other person in the room besides me. It was a woman dressed in a blue dress with varying shades. She had blonde hair, which was almost white. She also wore a blue hat, which was almost the same shade as the room she was in, and the last thing I noticed was her eyes. They were a stark yellow colour. I waved at her a little nervously as I walked to the lyre-back chair. "Master Igor and Philemon sent me to show you around some of the facilities of the Velvet Room. Some of them you won't be able to access until you are a little older." I nodded. "What's your name?"

She bowed, and put her hand against her chest. "My name is Elizabeth."

"I'm Minato. And you don't have to tack anything on. I noticed that the Philemon guy was being really formal." Elizabeth bowed once more and replied, "As you wish, Minato-kun." She took my hand, and took me towards a glowing white door at the back of the blue room. "This is the Armoury." I looked around in wonder at the pieces of extravagant armour that surrounded the room. Which in contrast to the soothing blue room was a scarlet colour. "Here you can take Personae, and turn them into pieces of armour. You might even be able to remedy that predicament of yours." She gestured towards my arm, or lack-there-of. "Try it." She handed me a card with a card with a fairy on it. "Pixie…" I looked up at her. "Now, all you have to do, is place it on the anvil, and give it a good smack with that hammer." I briefly wondered why everything I was going to be making had something to do with smashing and anvils. Not that I minded, but…

I took the hammer seated near the bottom of the anvil and placed the card on the surface of the metal stand. A rush of energy surged in my arm, and I pounded on the card with a large resounding clang. The card shattered into what looked like pieces of glass, and then reformed into a gauntlet that was coloured a navy blue and light pink, and had lacy wing-like appendages formed like the Yatagarasu symbol that was popular in this one game. The wings surrounded an electrical node, and they kind of reminded me of Iron Man's blasters. I put it on.

"Great job, Master Minato. I have a feeling you will use this very well once you get more Personae." I briefly wondered if it would be possible to make another arm by using this. Maybe if I do get more Personae, I'll be able to get enough material to make one. Elizabeth took my wrist and led me out of the red room.

She strode over to the next door, whilst still dragging me along, which was a nice lilac colour. And so, we walked into a huge echo-y looking hall. "This is the concert hall. This is where we of the Velvet Room practise our musical skills." Music? Well, then again I was hearing this faint sound… "You can try what you like." I nodded, but there was only a lone microphone attached to an amplifier. I looked at Elizabeth-san. "Why is there only that?" Elizabeth smiled. "The instruments that show up change according to what you want to do."

Well… I guess I did feel like singing. I ran through a couple of songs in my mind, and I finally settled on the one. A bass and an acoustic guitar kicked in, with drum shortly after. I didn't know how it worked, but work it did.

_We met in a place where love is one…_

_We've fallen together and now we're one…_

_The future, the future… yeah it stays true…_

_The future, the future… yeah it stays true…_

_Ohhhh! I'll teach you what you need to know!_

_Til the day that I finally go….!_

_Love will forever grow…._

_Oh darlin' if you could read my mind…_

_Oh heaven knows what you would find._

_These people these people they're turning back…_

_These people these people they're turning back…_

_Ohhhhh! I'll teach you what you need to know!_

_Til the day that I finally go…!_

_Love will forever grow…_

_The story only just, just begun… And surely it should never ever end…_

_The story only just, just begun… And surely it should never ever end…_

_The story only just, just begun… And surely it should never ever end…_

_The story only just, just begun… And surely it should never ever end…_

_And surely it should never, ever end._

Elizabeth seemed lost while I finished it off. She kept on looking at me with wonder.

"I almost wanted to ask you for an encore!" I heard of shattering of glass in my mind, similar to when I summoned Orpheus.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast established a link with the World Arcana…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when fusing Weapons and Personae of the World Arcana…**

Weapons and Personae? Hm. Is it just me, or is there something a little strange about that sentence? "I see I am to be forever bound to you." Elizabeth giggled. "Forever bound?"

"You made a Social Link with me. Once you complete all ten ranks of the link, we will be forever bound to each other, no matter what happens." I smiled to myself. "You are of the Fool Arcana. Your power is drawn from the power of others. The power of friendship and bond." Then… "Wouldn't it seem like I'm just using them for power?"

She giggled again. "So long as you truly cherish the time you spend with them, what could go wrong? If you truly come to love them in the end, the fact that you're drawing your power from them is a moot point. Even without the power of the Social Link, look at what you have done for your sister. You managed to protect her. You protected her from Death. You found her a new home, and a new family. And you will still cherish the time you spend with her. That is all that matters in the end." I took it in. It sounded like she knew what her place in the world was. She knew her purpose. "Thank you, Elizabeth-san." I thought to myself, and I said it out loud. "Can I call Elizabeth-san Eli-san?"

Eli-san bowed, with a considerably happy expression. "Of course, Minato-kun." Her expression then grew a little serious. "The last door… You will just need to be careful. Alright?" I nodded.

We left the golden hall and went to the last door. It was a cold black, and but the corridors that I walked through were a tinted green. "Hello. Long time no see." The girl in front was dressed in what looked like a dark blue dress, and the top half was white. Her black hair was tied up in pigtails, and her cerulean eyes contrasted the pale colour of her skin. Under her left eye was a beauty mark, and if I didn't know any better I would say that it was shaped almost like a sideways crescent moon.

From the girl, I sensed the same oppressive feeling from the black monster that was chained to my heart. I could feel myself getting pulled closer towards her without me actually moving. My heart felt pulled roughly against my rib-cage, and I growled at the pain. I saw the black chain that was pulling my heart, and I could feel she was pulling me along. Though from what I could tell from her expression, she wasn't meaning to hurt me in anyway. She seemed to be struggling to make the pulling gentler than it was going, but that didn't seem to be working out with her at all.

"Oh I'm sorry! Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry!" She started crying softly. I gently lifted her gloved hands from her eyes, and caught the tears that were about to fall. "You apologised. It's ok…" I wiped her remaining tears away. It felt like looking after my sister after something went horribly wrong. "Maybe next time, you can let me walk in on my own." I rubbed her back. It really was like looking after my sister.

"Anyways… You formed a contract with me! Be sure to look after it, alright? And make sure you always follow it!" She thrust her hand out, and held it in the air in a peace sign. "Ok. Do you have a name besides…well… Death?" The girl pondered it for a bit. She then snapped her fingers. "I know! You can call me Alice!"

"Alright, Alice-chan." I smirked a little, and she pouted in response. "Alright, Minato-kun." She gave me a huge hug and pulled back after. "Well, I'll be seeing you around a lot. We are bound together." She gestured towards the black chain sagging between the two of us. "Lastly, time never waits. It delivers us all equally to the same end. You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes. And so…" The mysterious Alice-chan faded away into shadow… "It begins…"

A familiar shattering noise echoed.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast established a link with the Death Arcana…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when fusing Weapons and Personae of the Death Arcana…**

I walked back out into the familiar Velvet Room. "How was it, Minato-kun?" Eli-san asked. "I made a new friend." I smiled up at Eli-san. "That's good." She sighed in relief. "Now, I haven't even told you what the Velvet Room itself is for. In the Velvet Room, you can fuse Personae together to make stronger ones." My eyes widened. Personae are really weird things. "Before I forget…" She gestured towards the huge tome that she conjured in the air. "This will be important for later. You can save Personae that you get in this book, with all their skills and about to inherit Skill Cards and items. It's useful if you are fusing away certain Personae that you want to keep." She smiled, finished with her explanation. "Once you gain more Personae, come again of your own accord. Until then…" She waved me off as I entered back into Paulownia Mall. Barely a minute had passed since I came out of the Velvet Room. Time might not be normal there… That might actually be convenient for a few things.

I walked back to Okaa-san's antique shop, and found my imoto up and awake. She seemed excited, and was going on about some people called Igor, Theo and Philemon. "Igor-san was mysterious, but he's actually reeeeaaally nice. Theo-kun seems formal, but he's actually very funny, since when I tell him about things, he tends to pout and get flustered. Philemon… I like his mask. It's sooo pretty!" She visited the Velvet Room? I guess that was why Philemon and Igor-san weren't there. But… I wonder who Theo-san is? Maybe he's like Eli-san. Who am I kidding? Of course he's like Eli-san.

"Oh Minako. At around midnight, we're going out later. Get ready, and try not to fall asleep!" Minako nodded slowly. "It'll be fine. You've okaa-san and onii-san with you! We'll protect you." I held out my hand in front of hers, with all my fingers but my pinky folded in a loose fist. "Promise?" She asked. "Promise." She took her pinky and curled it around mine. She smiled as she went to bed to get ready for tonight. "I'll also do my best so that you don't have to put yourself in as much danger!" She called out when she stopped at the corridor to the bedroom.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast discovered a link with the Star Arcana…**

**Thou shalt have our blessing when fusing Weapons and Personae of the Star Arcana…**

**RANK 8!**

She soon skipped off. I guess should get some sleep too. I examined the gauntlet that I made at the Armoury. When I looked at it long enough, I heard a high-pitched giggle… The skills I could see were Zio and Dia. Zio I could guess, but I wondered what Dia was.

**You can use it to heal your friends and yourself!**

The same giggle from before called out from within my mind. Thank you Pixie.

**You are very much welcome!**

With that, I went for a nap to conserve my energy for the green night.

When I did take that nap, I wasn't expecting this dream.

I felt like I couldn't get up. I was constantly being pushed down by this force, and I couldn't tell what it was. I desperately wanted to get up. I could feel someone's hand in mine.

"Onii…an…"

Huh?

"Onii-chan!" I sat up quickly, realising she was calling me out. I wiped off some beads of sweat that were forming on my forehead. "What is it Minako?" She gave me a big hug. I blinked my eyes in surprise. "We're gonna be going soon onii-chan!" I pulled myself off the bed as she released her hug. "Alright. I'm going to get Frostbite."

"Frost-bite? What is it?"

"Oh. Okaa-san made it earlier when she was showing me how to make this cool sword. And I mean it is cool."

"Oh… I see." I came back a few minutes later holding the Pixie gauntlet and Frostbite. You know what? I'll call the gauntlet Tinker Bell for fun. "Look at Frostbite. If you stare into its reflection, you can see the Persona that was used." Minako's eyes glittered bright as she stared into the cold, shiny metal. "Ooh! It's waving at me! Jack Frost is waving at me!" Oh… So that was what Okaa-san used. Jack Frost… "And I made this in the Velvet Room before I took my nap." I handed her Tinker Bell, which she took from me in wonder. "I can hear her voice. She sounds super cheery and energetic!" She commented. "Can I use this?" She asked me. "Well… Sure. I have Frostbite so…" She gave me a super big hug, and put her armour on. You know… Maybe Tinker Bell is meant more for a girl. That would make more sense. She flexed her fingers in the gauntlet, and she had a smile while she tested it.

"Time for us to go!" Okaa-san called out. She gestured towards the door and we walked towards Gekkoukan. We arrived there just before midnight, and I heard an echoing ticking noise, like that of a clock. Then the world and the moon was tinted green. The streetlights went out, and a large creaking sound erupted. The school turned into a tower unlike any that I had seen before. The tower seemed to have been made haphazardly, and without much architectural knowledge. The parts of it that jutted out seemed to be able to collapse any minute, perhaps, even on it. The top that I could see was right in the middle of the waning moon. It was really tall. 'Nuff said. "This is where I get my supplies. This is Tartarus."

"Sounds like toothpaste." I blurted out.

"It kinda does." Okaa-san smiled back at me. "Well, let's go in."

The bottom of this tower was very pretty too, if not a bit disconcerting. Where did that word come from? Huh. I noticed a blue door in the corner, a few metres away from the stairs that seemed to lead upwards into the tower. I think that's the Velvet Room door. Very close to the stairs was this clock, and I didn't know what it was for… Guess I'll find out later. And near the entrance where we came through was this green pad. I won't ask what it is. "Are you guys ready?" Okaa-san asked.

We nodded and we headed up the stairs. I have to say, the archway looked really cool. The golden clock was stopped on the one time, and it never moved: twelve 'o' clock. And there it stayed. After much silent admiration of the surroundings I walked up the long stairway to hell. And I was going to call it that, because that was what the place felt like.

Okaa-san said that it would be best if we split up, and she would be walking around while giving support. I obliged, since we all had our Personae and weapons. I trusted her to tell me if we were in trouble.

So yeah, we went off.

The 'Shadows' that I had encountered weren't too bad. I managed to cut most of them down with Frostbite, and I was able to channel Orpheus' power through my arms. Most of the ones I touched with Orpheus burst into flames and mist when I got them. It was only difficult because I didn't have that extra arm. That's why I didn't get to use Frostbite as much. I got some money, new Personae and weapons out of it. I even managed to snag this Gold Shadow which gave me a whole wad of yen, and a pair of Nihil gloves. The Personae I got had stuff like Angel, Pixie and Apsaras. What is it with all of them being girls?

We came back to Okaa-san relatively unscathed. My imoto didn't look too bad either. It looked like she managed to grab some more skill cards. "Great job you guys. We have enough supplies for now. Let's go back home now." We nodded and she gestured towards the green pad. While Minako looked at Okaa-san uncomfortably, she reassured us that this would take us back down to the bottom. And reach the bottom we did.

I noticed a red-haired girl staring up intently at the entrance to the maze that I found it to be. Okaa-san noticed, so she quickly took Minako and herself out of the tower, leaving me alone with the girl and some eye-patched man.

She noticed me as well, and I had to say she was pretty. Her red, but slightly violet hair was hanging in a single curl on her shoulder. She was wearing a white blouse with a red ribbon around her collar, and a grey short skirt going down to just above her knees. I mean like, I would've thought she was prettier if she didn't pull a rapier on me. I stared at her as I came out from the corner where the teleporter was. Out of the shadows. And I was holding a sword. "Who are you?" She said, icily. "Why do you have a gun?" I asked back.

I pointed at the silver gun at her holster with my sword. Is it just me, or did I see Jack Frost giggling in the reflection of the sword? Huh. The lobby turned icy. I looked at her heart, and concentrated. She was a Persona user. I sheathed Frostbite. And I equipped Apsaras for good measure. Well, that doesn't feel as bad. I felt a lot less cold. The girl was surprised at my resistance to the cold, and it eventually died down. "Thanks. That feels a bit better." I gave the girl a smile as I walked closer to her. The eye-patched man looked down at me, sizing me up I supposed. I bowed slightly, and held out my hand afterwards. "My name's Arisato Minato. But you can just call me Minato."

She seemed taken aback, but she took my hand anyway. Hm. For a person who uses the ice element, she felt quite warm… "Kirijo Mitsuru. You may call me Mitsuru if you wish." She still seemed cautious. The eye-patch man started talking this time. "Why are you here?"

"Not answering that." I said with a grin.

He seemed indifferent to my response, if not a little surprised or irritated. From there the wheels the conversation was riding on just stopped, and I was the one pulling the brakes. Where have I heard the name Kirijo before… I swear, I have heard it… My mind flashed back to the night where I contracted Death. They were the ones who covered it up, and they were the ones who came to… take us to the police station… unconsciously started glaring at the ground. My blue bangs covering up my expression. I started chuckling… And I held up my hand against my head. I turned around towards the entrance. My laughing was getting louder.

I turned and walked out before Mitsuru could ask me what happened.

What is that coincidence? It's like fate giving me a slap in the face. I don't hate them personally, but I just hate what they did. I could feel bottled anger welling up. I wasn't even sure then if I was the one bearing these emotions.

I closed my eyes in resignation. They weren't my emotions. I was surprised that Death itself could have any at all. Perhaps… yeah.

"Haha…" I looked up towards the sky, at the moon. "Am I going crazy? Maybe. I am the kid with multiple Personae, so I basically have the equivalent of multiple personality disorder." Like then. I ran through the Arcana of my Personae in my head. Priestess, Justice and Lovers. Then I have Orpheus.

I walked back to the antique shop, trying to get all the emotions that Alice was channelling through out of my head. As soon as my head touched the pillow, I just fell asleep.

By the time I got home, the green night passed, and the coffins lining the streets turned back into people. The blood on the ground disappeared.

Huh.

_These people, these people are turning back…_

I smiled to myself. I like this song a lot more now.

* * *

_Five years later…_

I walked out of the alleyway, leaving a bit of mess behind. Not that anyone would miss it. I mean, seriously. No-one would care about the few ashes of smoke I left behind. Gotcha didn't I? You probably all thought that I was in a thug fight. Thing is, I was. They were weak as all… Ok. Maybe I won't finish that sentence. In fact I might've gotten a little overboard, since I don't know if they are breathing.

The fact is, some people attacked okaa-san, and I'm not gonna let it go. I tried, but it didn't seem like it was going to go away. I left the dregs of that alley, and out into Okina City. Well, at least the rest of the world is cheerful. It was the bustling city that Inaba made it's home nearby. On that note, time to visit Tokyo. I'm getting ever closer to Iwatodai.

I didn't feel like taking a train. Naw, I got myself a motorbike. I slung my pack onto my back, which has my sword, Black Snow, my hammer and my cigs. I lit one up as I put the pack in the bag. Welp, what's done is done. I'm so getting out of this habit once I get back home. The other thing I kept in my bag was a notepad and a pen.

Now, I have to find the 'door' in Tokyo. That might be a little difficult… I felt a strange amount of power coming from near the Tokyo Tower though. And to be sure, once I passed through the park, I saw that blue door. I opened it up.

"Yo Eli-chan!"

"Oh, welcome to the Velvet Room, Minato." The blue-clad assistant greeted. "So, has Minako come by lately?" I asked.

Elizabeth giggled. "Yes. She has been quite the guest. I would say she's approaching level 70 or so."

"And her music?" I smiled.

"Beautiful as ever." Eli-chan gestured to the door. And yup, I could feel that someone has been in there. "Mmhm. Well, I'm going to practise a bit." Eli-chan bowed and showed me to the door that led to the Concert Hall.

"Just what I needed. The microphone." I mumbled to myself as I wandered over to the stage.

_We managed to play all our cards… Oh…_

_If we hadn't taken shit seriously, then the present would be alright._

_My thoughts are decent but sometimes I lose control,_

_Patterns and habits contain me, but I got soul._

_Can you imagine a world where there is no depth?_

_Absence of colour and nothing to test our heads?_

_All night… I've been telling her this whole time…_

_I've been warning her all night… She's been crying her eyes out…_

_I've given too much of my heart, away…_

_Imagine how different tomorrow would be if we knew where to draw the line._

_You left me hanging when you knew I couldn't dance, you broke your promise, and you flooded any chance…_

_I don't intend to rewrite what belongs to you,_

_Oh I was born to make sure you knew how to choose…_

_I've been warning her all night… She's been crying her eyes out…_

_I've given too much of my heart, away…_

_No you don't know me anymore…_

_No you don't know me anymore..._

_No you don't know me anymore…_

_No you don't know me anymore..._

_We were in the right place at the wrong time, if only you could read my mind, read my mind, read my mind, read my mind…_

_We were in the right place at the wrong time, if only you could read my mind, read my mind, read my mind, read my mind…_

_Anybody who cares won't dare to try me, no-one I know out there will stand beside me…_

_Anybody who cares won't dare to try me, no-one I know out there will stand beside me…_

_All night… I've been telling her this whole time…_

_I've been warning her all night… She's been crying her eyes out…_

_All night… I've been telling her this whole time…_

_I've been warning her all night… She's been crying her eyes out…_

"Minako. I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. Would you still forgive your idiot of an onii-chan?" I said out loud. I walked back out into the Velvet Room.

"Eli-chan? Is the coast clear?" I asked.

"Yes. In fact, Minako just came into the Armoury. I suppose you're going to leave a message like always?" Eli-chan answered.

"Yeah." I sat down in the lyre-backed chair. I took out my notepad and ripped a page out. Lastly, I took my pen out.

_Minako-chan, I've been doing well. I hope you've been keeping safe._

_I will definitely be coming back sometime soon though._

_I'm sorry that it took so long._

_Can you still find it in your heart to forgive your idiot onii-chan?_

_If you can't that's fine, though I have that feeling that you still believe in me._

_Onii-chan – Minato :P_

"Make sure Minako finds it, okay Eli-chan?"

"Always, Minato." She bowed after I left my message in her care.

"Thanks, Eli-chan. Hopefully, this'll be the last time."

* * *

AN: This is my first fanfic that I've uploaded here, and I hope it's ok... Anyways... Please review, I would very much appreciate it.


	2. After the Rain

_07/04/07 Late Night_

"Minako… You've probably grown so big since I've been gone. I haven't been a very good onii-chan." I said to myself as I walked into the antique shop quietly. I walked into the bedroom. No okaa-san… just my lovely imoto. I gently kissed her on the forehead as she slept. She didn't stir. But of course, she was always a heavy sleeper. I settled my bag down at the end of my old bed and took off my leather jacket. I let down my dark blue hair which was tied up in a small ponytail.

I lay down on the bed, knowing I was finally back home, and my lovely imoto was safe. I smiled to myself as I drifted off to sleep. That night, there were no dreams of anything, but being back with my imoto, Minako.

_08/04/07 Morning_

I woke up early and started on breakfast after I walked into the kitchen. Her favourite is… French toast. I thought to myself as I gingerly placed the bread in beaten egg. She was waking up, I could feel it. To be sure, I heard shuffling footsteps coming from the corridor. She looked around the corner, trying to figure out what was cooking. She sniffed around several times before her sleepy face turned into an expression of happiness.

"Onii…chan?" She wandered into the kitchen. Her eyes almost started filling with tears. "O-onii-chan!" She flew into me with a huge hug. I couldn't help but smile knowing we were together again; finally. Good thing I wasn't holding the pan. "I'm so sorry, Minako. I won't leave you, ever again." My chest began to feel warm from her tears. "Don't you dare, stupid onii-chan!" Despite the slight insult, she was still busy smiling and wiping away her tears. "Why don't you go sit down?"

She nodded, and went to the table. I turned the stove off, and started sprinkling a little icing sugar on the pieces of toast. "Here you go." I put the plates on the table. "Onii-chan… You remembered what my favourite breakfast food…" I smiled. "I wouldn't forget. Ever."

"Onii-chan…" Minako's face turned sour as she looked at me. "Okaa-san's gone…" I would've just dropped everything that I was holding in my hands. But I kept strong. "I'm here now. I'm so sorry…" I felt a stinging pain in my cheek. It was a slap. "Baka onii-chan! You don't have to apologise. You're here now. That's what matters." I smiled at Minako. "That's my lovely imoto."

I decided since I knew I was coming back in a few weeks, I would start high school. At Gekkoukan. My old parent's school. And before you ask, I'm not losing the ponytail. No. I won't. I took Minako for a race to her school first, and hey! I won! Yay! "Onii-chan is coolest of the cool." She applauded me as she came just a few seconds behind me. "I'll see ya later, Minako. Say hi to Junpei and Yukari for me. And anyone else who asks why you're so damn chipper!" She giggled and waved me off as I bolted to Gekkoukan. Freaking easy scholarship test it was. I grinned as I ran through the school gates. I spotted a few familiar faces when I looked over at the notice board. Aki, Shinji and… Mitsuru…! I discreetly watched out for my name on the list, and there we go. "1-F…" I mumbled to myself. I nodded and bolted to the auditorium.

A few minutes later, two of the familiar faces went up to greet me. "Minato!?" Aki shouted out. "Dude! Where have you been!?" He slapped me on the back. "I've been around… Hey Shinji!" The brunette turned towards me. "Hey, Minato." He smiled, and joined our conversation about what has happened in a two year gap.

"No kidding? You're gonna join the boxing team? Well, you better not let us down, Aki." I teased.

"Hell yeah!" I fist bumped the boxing obsessed silverette. "Shinji! You planning on joining any clubs?"

"Huh? Oh. I was thinking of joining the cooking club…"

"Looks like I'm going to have a lot to do this year! I wonder I could join the cooking club, the track club and the music club all at the same time?" I suggested. "Maybe I could even join the tech club… Actually, maybe not."

"Tch… Good luck with that." Shinjiro gave a smile.

I smiled sheepishly at the both of them. "I'll tell you more about what I've been doing later. And hopefully Mitsuru… She's right behind me. Isn't she?" Aki and Shinji grimaced.

"Hello my beautiful Mitsuru…" She started glaring at me. "Ok, ok. I'll cut the crap. It's great to see you again." I turned to Mitsuru. "All of you." I turned around to Aki and Shinji. "It'll be great to have our leader back." Aki commented. "So, do you guys want to come with me to pick up Minako after school?" Aki and Shinji nodded. Mitsuru answered, "Of course. Hopefully we might end up in the same class as each other." I nodded with a grin.

"As we all start the coming of a new school year… I would like each of you to remember a proverb: If a job's worth doing is worth a job done well…" The principal droned on and on. I clipped on my earphones, and started zoning out of his boring speech. Aki grinned at me as I clipped them on. I could tell Mitsuru was trying hard not to fall asleep to his speech, and was even trying to process what he was saying. Shinji… Well he got on the lazy train faster than I did.

Luckily my homeroom teacher was nice. She was Terauchi sensei. She was nice enough, and her classes seemed to be well organised. Nice luck for me.

Anyways…

_After School_

We all met up outside of the school gates, and there was no mad dash to be had. Not when Mitsuru is around. Besides, Aki would probably be the only other person who would want to try racing me again. And Shinji, frankly, he just didn't care. We started catching up on what happened during the past couple of years.

"So what was so important that you had to leave your sister behind?" Aki asked. He would be worried as he had a little sister that died called Miki. He's slowly recovering though after some talking and the few punches in the head I gave him.

"Well… If I told you, you guys would probably call me stupid as all heck." Shinji, Aki and Mitsuru looked on at me with interest. "Leaving your sister is already stupid though." Shinji said.

"Fine. I went out to find the people who attacked okaa-san five years ago." Aki stared at me with disbelief. Mitsuru gave me a look that practically had 'you baka' etched onto her eyes. Shinji bit his lip. "Happy now? Thing is, I did find them. And they'll never hurt anyone, and I mean anyone again." I scoffed. "All of this is pretty much a result of my stupid sense of justice."

"Wait. You ki—" Akihiko protested, but I cut him off.

"Yeah." I growled. I immediately sighed. "I'm the worst aren't I..?"

Everyone fell silent. "On the bright side, I got myself a license and a motorcycle." I grinned, trying to diffuse the awkward situation. Mitsuru blinked in surprise. "You acquired a motorcycle? You didn't 'find' one under unscrupulous means, did you?"

I flashed my wallet which had my license in it. "Totally legit." Well, actually I fused it with some parts I found and a Persona called Hell Biker.

"Wait. You have a motorcycle, but you run, I repeat run, to school instead." Shinji stated, with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "You are one crazy dude. Of course that's an understatement, but… tch."

"I see. I would like to see this motorcycle of yours once we get back, Minato." Mitsuru asked with a smile. "Sure." I replied.

"Well, we're here." We stopped in front of the gates that led into the middle school. "Onii-chan!" She flew into my arms for a hug. I rubbed her back as she kept smiling up at me. "Come on. Let's go back home." Minako nodded and turned to greet her senpais, and they started talking about things. I wasn't really sure what they were talking about since I was kinda caught up in my own thoughts.

I sighed heavily. Dammit. What kind of onii-chan am I? I picked up my pack of cigarettes. Hmm. Not now. I'll do it later.

We eventually arrived at the antique shop, and I had to show Mitsuru the bike which was parked near a bike stand. My bike, Pale Rider. It was a black and white beauty. Mitsuru complimented it with a 'tres bien.' I smiled. "Maybe I can take you out on a ride sometime, just the two of us, Mitsuru." Mitsuru flushed a little, but agreed. "Yes. I would like that."

After a couple hours of reminiscing, everyone left to the dorm which they stayed at.

_Dark Hour_

I sat up, hearing something stir. It was familiar. "Hello again, Minato-chan." Alice approached. She looked older than I remembered, and she wore a yellow scarf. "It's been a long time since I've seen you in person, Alice." She smiled. "I know. I've missed you, even though we are never truly separated." She held her white gloved hand to her heart. I clutched my heart. The black chains which bound us together tightened ever so slightly. I let out a huge breath I had been holding in as the slightly taut chain loosened. "Alice-chan. What do you think of siblings?"

"I don't really know. They aren't really something I have too much experience with, but from what I've seen Minato, you've been a good onii-chan."

The words stung a little. "You think so? Then why do I think that I'm good-for-nothing when I think about that? I don't know. Sorry Alice."

Her eyebrow rose. "Whatever for Minato? You need to stop blaming yourself. What I'm saying might be pointless. But, I believe in you."

I sighed heavily. "Thanks, Alice."

"You don't need to thank me." She smiled, and gave me a peace sign and faded into the darkness.

I lifted myself off the bed. I couldn't sleep. I went out into Paulownia Mall, taking Black Snow with me. The blade sat cold in my hand. I went down into an alleyway, just near Club Escapade. Yup. It was quiet alright. I lit up one of my cigarettes and let the smoke drift lazily into the stagnant air of the Dark Hour.

I heard a shotgun cock. I could feel it being aimed at me. "Well, well, well. Look who's here to join me. Takaya." I spat the name out with lazily covered venom. "How sharp you've grown, Minato." The greasy haired man with a penchant for not wearing any tops stepped out into the glow of the moon. "You don't look so bad yourself, messiah boy." I chuckled. "Anyways… What are you here for?" I spat out my cigarette, snuffing the embers out with a step of my shoe.

A blue haired guy in a green coat stepped out of the darkness next. "Nothing. We weren't expecting you to be up is all." Jin answered. "I see. I have no reason to disturb you then. See ya guys later then, that includes you Chidori!" I smiled back at them. I heard a faint gasp, probably feminine, sound. "Don't act so surprised now. I'll be going now, for reals." I waved back. "Ta ta!"

Jin and Takaya looked at each other, trying to figure out what just happened. I snickered. At least, that's what I thought they were doing.

_07/04/09 Dark Hour_

"What the hell are you doing, you little punk!?" The thug rushed at me with a punch, but I easily dodged to the side. I couldn't help but snicker at his foolishness. Man, I'm just picking these guys off one by one, huh? "I just wanted to have a little fun." My smile creased even wider. The thug's eyes widened in horror, but quickly narrowed again. He rushed at me with a pocket knife, and very suddenly his eyes became dilated. My smile turned into a grin.

I yanked out Deus Xiphos, and flicked off the remaining blood, leaving the droplets on the ground. I felt a surge of power, and I was sure my eyes were shining a light blue.

And I continued grinning, as I lit up one of my smokes. The noxious gases floated up lazily into the warm air. After a few minutes I dropped the cigarette onto the pavement and snuffed out the glowing embers.

Honestly now, I don't know why I keep doing this. Maybe it's just to satiate some kind of twisted bloodthirsty sense of justice I have? Probably. I have to stop doing this. I want to stop and at the same time I don't. My feelings as an onii-chan to Minako make me want to stop, and this murderous hunger I get pushes me to keep doing it.

I sighed heavily. I really don't deserve an imoto like Minako. I can't even keep out of trouble for the girl. One day, I know. All this killing is going to bite me back in the ass.

I retied my navy blue ribbon around my ponytail.

I know it.

_08/04/09 Morning_

I drove Minako and I to Gekkoukan. I started doing this since it was just more convenient that way. I could hear them fan girls cooing at the sight of me and my motorcycle. I breathed a sigh of annoyance. "I'll see you later, Minako." She beamed one of her trademark smiles. "See ya later onii-chan!" I slipped my helmet off my head, and hung it on the handlebars of my motorcycle, which I locked to one of the bike stands.

I spied a red haired lady approaching me as I finished locking up. "Hey Mitsuru."

"Good morning Minato." She gave me a smile. "What's up?" I asked.

"I've just been wondering… Are you going to join Student Council again?"

I pulled a smirk. "Well, probably. Why?"

"I was just thinking that if you do join, you might become a candidate for… that."

I shook my head quickly. "Oh. Sometimes I wonder about the people at this school. The only other reason why I'm going to become that is because of my fan club." I thumbed the group of girls who were starting to encroach on personal space.

"I know. Are you prepared if you do?"

"I suppose. Besides…" I grinned. "It gives me an excuse to spend more time with you, Mitsuru-hime." I left a kiss on her unsuspecting cheek, and she started blushing profusely.

She chuckled quietly. "Of course. As expected of my prince in commoners clothing."

I chuckled as well. "Well, we should get going to the auditorium. I feel the stares of plaguing fan girls directed at the both of us…"

Mitsuru nodded, and she took my hand. I looked at her with an expression that was a mix of surprise and triumph. "Let us go, my princess."

"Very well."

We walked into the auditorium, and I swear, this speech that the principal's giving is the same as all the other times. I clipped on my earphones, zoning out. Mitsuru seemed to have noticed the striking similarities between the speeches he gave the other two years. She merely chuckled at my antic. Akihiko and Shinjiro were sitting next to me. I honestly would have expected at least one of them to ditch the assembly. Of course, I took it as a moment of contemplation so it didn't really matter.

Oh yeah, I have Ounishi sensei as my homeroom teacher. Looks like all three years, I've been lucky. Ounishi sensei is a pretty good teacher. Mitsuru seemed to have the same sentiments.

At lunch we put down our applications for Student Council, and those stares again. I pretty much deadpanned as we went back to the classroom. Oh yeah. Akihiko and Shinji are in the same class as us. Shinji is pretty smart once he puts his mind to it, and Aki was expected to have pretty good marks because of Mitsuru.

"What's up Mitsuru?" She clearly had something to tell me.

"Ah yes. Well, I would just like to note your opinions on Iori-san."

I blinked. "Well, alright. Another member?" Mitsuru nodded.

"Junpei… Cheery guy. Bit of a pervert. He's a bit of a showoff, but he eased up a bit since I hung out with him for a while. He's good friends with Yukari-chan and Minako. While I was hanging out with him, he gave the impression that he desperately wanted to become a hero or gain attention by becoming strong." I shrugged.

Mitsuru nodded with her eyes closed in contemplation. "I see. We still need as many members as we can though."

"Don't worry too much. I can put him in line when I need to." I gave her a peace sign.

She laughed a little. "Then, he will be joining SEES in a couple of days."

I nodded.

I picked up Minako from her classroom and we left on my motorcycle together. We arrived at the antique shop a few minutes after.

"Well, I'm just gonna go to the Velvet Room for a bit." My imoto nodded and went to the bedroom.

I walked to Velvet Room, which was located in the alleyway that was under the Karaoke booth, Mandragora.

"Yo Eli-chan!" I threw out a wave to her, and she started smiling. "I'm just gonna go to the Concert Hall for a bit of practice." She obliged and followed me into the golden hall.

I stepped up onto the stage and pulled the microphone closer to my mouth.

_This is where I wait to hear 'bout where we both lied…_

_On the topics of miserable friends, and hopeless attempts…_

_And I never said with real feeling, that when our love did blossom_

_It's deceiving. I should count the time it takes to make up your mind…_

_I can't decide, I can't decide…_

_I can't decide, I can't decide…_

_This is where I think I'm tired of the maze in your mind…_

_Drawing parallels to fantasy tales that are destined to fail._

_And I never said with real feeling, that when our love did blossom_

_It's deceiving. I should count the time it takes to make up your mind…_

_I can't decide, I can't decide…_

_I can't decide, I can't decide…_

_I can't decide, I can't decide…_

_(I'm sorry but our world has finally come to an end…)_

_I can't decide, I can't decide…_

_(I told you that we really should have tried to pretend…)_

_I can't decide, I can't decide…_

_(I'm sorry but our world has finally come to an end…)_

_I can't decide, I can't decide…_

_(I told you that we really should have tried to pretend…)_

"Why did you choose that song, Minato?" Eli-chan asked, her face showing some worry. "I think I'm failing miserably right now. At being an onii-chan, I mean. I pretty much have an idea of what you're going to say because of the contract, but…"

"You really have to stop beating yourself up about this. It's not helping right now. I sometimes find myself to be a frustrating onee-chan to Theodore. That might just be me though." Eli-chan smiled. "Thanks Eli-chan. I have a feeling that I not going to let this go any time soon, so for now…" I made a resigned smile to myself. "Let me wallow in this self-loathing a little longer."

_09/04/09 Full Moon, Late Night_

"Hey Minako." I scratched my head. "Do you feel like going to Tartarus?"

Minako mulled it over. "Ok onii-chan!" She went off to get her weapons with much ardour, and even came back with my weapons.

Deus Xiphos was my holy sword fused with Michael, and my shoes were fused with Mercury, which was a Persona I fused with a different combination. Mercury was of the Magician Arcana.

The naginata Minako wielded was fused with Thanatos, her gauntlet fused with High Pixie and Medusa, and her shoes formed with Thor.

Behold my fusions which I did myself!

_Dark Hour_

"Wait. I can feel something. It's heading… towards the dorms!" Minako's eyes widened. "We have to go!" She shouted. "Onii-chan… Well, there's no time to lose! Take the motorcycle!"

"We shouldn't. It's locked up tight. It would take more time."

Minako frowned. "Break the chain then!"

I grimaced. "Fine."

I picked up Pale Rider from the entrance to Paulownia Mall, and we managed to manoeuver ourselves through the stopped cars without incident. I swear… If it gets damaged… I sighed.

We soon stopped outside of the Iwatodai Dorms to find an injured pair of Aki and Shinji struggling into the dorm. Minako nodded and we caught up to them. We opened the door for them, and they collapsed on the doors. "What happened?" Minako asked, trying to keep her cool. Nothing hurts her senpais.

Aki groaned. "There's a huge Shadow following us… We couldn't match up to it…"

Shinji grunted. "We couldn't get close to it, since it had so many fucking swords."

Minako understood, and made for a Mediarahan on the two senpais.

"That feels way better. Thanks, Minako." Akihiko stood up without much trouble. Shinjiro dusted off his blazer as he stood. "Yeah. Thanks Minako." They both gave a short-lived smile, which fell away as sounds rattled the building.

"I feel the Shadow! It's up on the roof! And Mitsuru and Yukari are up there!" I ran outside. I equipped Melchizedek and I used his wings to take me up the roof. I rose up into the sky. Minako took the long way, as I could hear large bangs coming from the rooftop door.

I quickly pushed Scathach to the forefront of my mind, just in case, and I landed on the roof. Mitsuru was tired out, and Yukari-chan was unconscious. The being that lurked in front was basically, all in all, a pack of arms squished together. Each of the arms that poked out held long grey swords, except for one, which held a blue mask. Minako broke through the locked door with a huge kick which gave a satisfying crack as it broke apart.

I felt a surge of power wash over me as I looked the Shadow over. The area around my eyes grew warmer, and I knew. My eyes were shining a piercing light blue. I smiled. I charged towards the Shadow, the Magician. Without throwing any caution to my health, I blocked the incoming onslaught of swords with my holy sword. I grinned at the Shadow, which seemed to be cowering before me as the weight unleashed on my block slackened. It tried to assault me again with the barrage of swords, but I slashed each arm off like a loaf of warm butter. Soon, it didn't have any arms with swords. I could feel a laugh forming in my stomach, but I held it back. I kicked the almost armless Shadow towards the ledge of the rooftop, and it collided with concrete. I slashed the Magician into ribbons when I came close, leaving only smouldering piles of black ichor.

Minako and Mitsuru looked at me in disbelief, both probably wondering I defeated it, literally single-handedly. Yukari-chan soon recovered a few seconds after I turned around.

"Well… This is awkward." I blurted out.

Minako flew into my chest. "Onii-chan…" She looked down at the ground. She looked up again with a huge smile on her face. "..is coolest of the cool!" Coolest of the cool. If only that were true. "If you say so Minako. If you say so." Oh the misconceptions of a naïve imoto. How they make me… laugh my freaking head off in hysterics. I mean… I'll do that later. In private.

"Well done, Minato." Mitsuru praised me, but I could still feel a slight bit of animosity coming from the red haired princess. "I will ask for a full report on this later." Mitsuru let out a small sigh. Minako saw it, and headed over to her to cast a quick Diarahan. "Thank you Minako." She stood up, unwavering in her stance. "I believe it would be prudent for us all to get a good night's sleep." We all nodded, Yukari in particular.

It was a rough night, I mean, except for me. I'm getting further aggravated from Minako… Why am I thinking this? I'm supposed to be her onii-chan… The compliments hurt. Perhaps if she was calling me an idiot instead I would be feeling a little better. Even if the insult that hits me is only a momentary state of euphoria.

_17/04/09 Morning_

Mitsuru gave her first address as the Student Council President. Her speech was impressive. It was like a nicer and more awesome version of the Principal's crappy speeches.

And then, I strolled onto the stage next. Come on. I practised this.

I cleared my throat.

"First thing, to be honest, you guys voting for me to be the other SCP is a very biased one. I'm not even talking about guys at this point. I'm talking to you, fan girls scattered around the hall."

The most of the guys guffawed in laughter, while my alleged fan club swooned over and possibly hit someone as they fainted.

"Now for the real deal. This school year, is one I want dedicated to finding yourselves. Once you find yourself, sort yourself out, you could do pretty much anything. Even as the guy counterpart for the council president, I'm not perfect." I stopped for a breath of air.

I could practically feel Aki's and Shinji's looks hardening on me.

"This year, I want changes. Big changes. Huge changes. Who's with me on that?" I gave a grin.

I heard a few 'whoops' in the background.

"Before we make changes, fix yourselves up. Actually do homework for once. I'm talking to you Junpei." I pointed him out from the crowd. He looked around frantically, trying to find an escape to the amount of prying looks thrown onto him. Now you know how I feel Junpei. "Join some more clubs. Meet new people. So guys, to get this clear, change yourselves for the better, then we talk."

I walked off the stage, with Mitsuru giving me a smile and look of approval. "Well done, Minato." I heard a round of applause resound from the auditorium. It was hard clapping for sure. "I didn't do much." I smiled back at her, and quickly gave a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for supporting me though." Mitsuru flushed profusely. "O-of course." I ran my hand through her silky hair. "Now would becoming SCP be like us becoming king and queen?" She smiled once more. "I would suppose so." She looked into my eyes. She seemed intent on saying or doing something, but decided against it at the last minute.

I heard a shattering of glass, and it wasn't a sound I was expecting to hear.

**Thou art I, and I art thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks...**

**The powers of the Empress Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Iceflame…**

I wonder what that is… Iceflame sounds like a weapon from this book I read called 'The Viscount of Adrilankha.' I have never heard the funny voices in my head go like this though...

The applause and praise died down. I was surprised at how long it lasted. "We better go now. The assembly's over." I threw another sly smile at her. "Y-yes, we should." She sighed. "Let's go."

_18/04/09 Dark Hour_

I headed for the Velvet Room, to find a blue butterfly mask staring me in the face. "Uh, hi Philemon." The mysterious man gestured me to the seat. "It has been a while since I've seen you, Arisato." I held out my hand, palm facing him. "Hold the presses. It's just Minato, Philemon." I heard a chuckle. "Very well, Minato. It seems you have stumbled upon the first of your Ultimate Weapons." I was about to ask him what it was, but decided not to since he was probably going to explain it anyway. "Ultimate weapons can only be unlocked once you reach this unmentioned rank in a Social Link. In essence, it is an Ultimate Weapon, similar to an Ultimate Persona, which you gain by reaching 'Rank 11.'"

I looked at him in disbelief. And here I thought… that I wouldn't have to do much more ranking up. Looks like Philemon proved me wrong. "I see… Thanks Philemon."

"My pleasure, Minato. Farewell for now." His presence faded away from the room, so I left too.

"Guys! You ready?" Yukari-chan, Aki and Shinji snapped to attention as I walked towards the stairs that led into the labyrinth that loomed above. Aki and Yukari-chan gave a nod in response, and Shinji simply grunted. Ah, how I always mentally kick myself when Shinji makes his reaction. It's always out of place.

Anyways… You don't want to hear about my Tartarus exploits, do you? Only thing interesting, is that Yukari is already approaching the level forties. Convenient higher level Shadows for the win.

_19/04/09 Lunchtime_

"Hey Yukari-chan." Yukari looked up to face me. "Oh hello senpai. What's up?" I explained, "Well, you see. SEES is going to get a new member in today, so I thought it would be good to tell you that you should probably go back to the dorms as soon as school's out." Yukari nodded. "Alright then." She looked up at me again, with eyes that were wondering who the new member is. "The new member is Junpei." Yukari-chan's eyes widened. "What? Junpei? Why him?" She pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. I shrugged. "I dunno. New members are needed. We're probably going to end up breaking him into Tartarus, I mean unless you're tired or something."

"Ah no. I've been getting used to Tartarus, and I don't get tired as easily anymore. I just can't believe Junpei is actually joining." Yukari sighed.

"Huh? Junpei's joining in!?" Minako exclaimed. "Yay! Jun-Jun's joining in!" She hugged me again. "It'll be nice to have another friend with us." She said as she released me from her grip. "Mmhm. Look forward to it, huh?"

Yukari shrugged, but answered with a half-hearted 'yeah.' Minako nodded vigorously.

_After School_

Minako and I decided to go to the Iwatodai Dorms to greet Junpei. And help carry some of his luggage in. I mean, it's obvious that a guy moving would have a lot of stuff. Mitsuru and Yukari came to wait with us as well.

"Hurry up!" I could hear Aki's gripes from outside.

"But these are freaking heavy!" Junpei's complaint came next.

"Suck it up, newbie." Shinji's questionable encouragement came next.

The doors opened, with Junpei standing in the middle with all his 'glory.' "Wassup?" He threw a casual greeting out.

Shinjiro told Junpei to get out of the way so that they could bring his luggage in. "Let me help…" I moved past Junpei, who was now leaning on the counter which was to the left of the entrance.

I hefted up one of his bags without worry and carried it into his allocated room. Junpei's jaw dropped as he saw me so easily carrying his luggage. Minako giggled at his expression. Mitsuru was impressed, and so was Yukari. Not that I really cared, because I wasn't here to show off my strength. I soon moved the last of his bags to his room.

Yukari made a heavy sigh as Junpei explained how he was found by Akihiko during the Dark Hour. I grimaced too. Who would be proud of almost pissing themselves in a convenience store? "…like not remembering anything." Junpei continued to say that usually when one first awakens in the Dark Hout they may get disorientated easily and experience memory loss.

I sighed as I slumped onto the couch. "I don't remember that."

Minako agreed. "I don't think that happened to me either."

"Don't feel bad! It happens to all us Persona users." Junpei stated.

"Nope. Didn't. I'm sure." I yawned a little and covered my mouth.

"Seriously?" Junpei looked sceptically at both Minako and I.

"We've been aware of the Dark Hour since I was eight, and since she was seven." Minako nodded to consolidate my point.

"Huh? Really? Wait. So now you're my senpai here too?" Junpei asked dejectedly, and the question was mostly likely targeted at Minako.

My eyelids fell halfway for an unamused expression. "Sure. They are too." I thumbed Aki, Shinji and Mitsuru who were standing closely together. "Well. Guys. Are you all up for breaking Junpei into Tartarus?"

"Tartarus? What's that? Sounds like toothpaste." I rubbed my forehead at Junpei's remark.

"See!? See!? That's what I said!" Mitsuru and company sighed heavily in response.

"Huh?" That's right. Junpei isn't exactly aware of the circumstances of my exclamation.

Minako giggled. "That's what onii-chan said when he first heard the name of Tartarus." She laughed some more. Yukari-chan looked at me, as if not believing that I was capable of such a joke.

"Tartarus does sound like toothpaste, but it's actually pretty dangerous. Better get you suited up though, Junpei. We'll do that once we go to Tartarus." I said.

_Dark Hour_

"So Junpei. What Weapon do you want?" I asked.

"Katana's are for men!" He answered.

"Here. Look at this one." I gave him a sheathed sword. He grabbed it by the hilt and pulled out his katana. "What is this?" He looked at it as he tried a few practise swings. Oh god, he's holding it like a baseballer. "This is a sword called Kusanagi. Maybe you've heard of it if you've watched Naruto? It can cut though just about anything." Before anyone asks, I made it with a few Personae that were related to Japanese mythology.

"What!? Really?" He shouted. I nodded. "Oh cool… Thanks dude."

"Also… wear these." I gave him a gauntlet made of a Scathach and a pair of shoes made with Mercury, just like mine. "You don't have to thank me." He grinned in response.

I gave him a small peace sign, and called for Aki and Yukari-chan to get into Tartarus.

Again, not too interesting. We managed to get Junpei's level into the twenties though. And I soon found out his Persona was Hermes. Oh yeah. Aki's Persona is called Polydeuces, Yukari-chan's Persona is Io, Shinji's Persona is Castor and Mitsuru's Persona is called Artemisia. Minako and I are Wild Cards, so I can't really tell you what Persona is my main one since we don't have one except for Orpheus and Eurydice.

Ok maybe when he first started, this part was kinda funny. That just may be my twisted sense of humour though.

So, when he found out I was going to be the leader, he started acting like a whiney bitch. Gave him a glare with my eyes glowing, and back to normal. "If you don't listen Junpei…" The glow in my eyes intensified. "Ichor isn't going to be the only thing that's going to be staining my blade tonight." Aki's eyes widened and Yukari gave a small yelp of fear.

Junpei gulped. "We wouldn't want that to happen… would we?" I started grinning. "So. Get back in line before I unleash Armageddon on you." Junpei was confused by my terminology, but got the point. For the record, Armageddon is very… Well, you know how in video games the damage cap is 9999? It's basically like that. Akihiko flinched. Yukari shivered.

Of course, I didn't really mean it, but I wanted to get my point across. I would never try killing anyone who was on my team. Never. Unless I'm charmed. But that's what I have Cybele for.

Yeah. Disciplining Junpei is going to take some work, isn't it?

_20/04/09 After School_

When I went to school, I could tell Aki and Yukari were being shifty around me. At least Aki would be able to tell it was an empty threat. When he was being stubborn, I would threaten to knock him upside the head, and stab him in the stomach. Eventually, I told him that it wasn't something I would do. Hurting friends is definitely not part of my nature. That didn't stop him from being a bit of a pussy whenever I threatened Aki or Shinjiro. Or in this case, Junpei.

Junpei approached me after school, looking pretty sheepish. "Wanna go out to Hagakure?"

I nodded and we headed off.

_Hagakure Ramen_

Junpei lifted the blue drapes of the entrance to the Ramen bar, letting some more of the subtle aroma waft out a bit more. We took our seat at the bar segment and ordered the house special. After flashing my card to the chef, I got myself them awesome Dan Dan Dan noodles. Oh goddamned yummy.

"Uh… I'm sorry that I was being a whiney bitch last night…" Junpei rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "Well… alright… The thing is… I don't want anyone to get hurt under my watch. I'm leader. My responsibility. I'll forgive you if you can promise that you won't act like that again." Junpei nodded immediately. I broke my chopsticks. "And… I'll let you on a little secret. The threats I made last night… They're not things I would ever act on."

Junpei let out a sigh of relief. "I would readily do those things to someone who attacked any of you though." Junpei froze again. "Wait. You've killed people?"

"Well, try keeping that down please." I took a bite of the delicious noodles. "And yeah. I do it every other night." I sighed. "And… Please… I don't want you to tell Minako. Especially Minako. Everyone else knows I have killed before, but I didn't tell them that I didn't stop." I pleaded to him. "Next secret that not even the seniors know about me." Junpei listened readily. "I smoke." Some of the colour drained away from Junpei's face. "Y-you do?"

"And before you ask, I am not responsible for the cigarette that was found in the toilet at school. I only smoke during the Dark hour." I could practically feel the stick hanging from my mouth as I imagined that. "Why are you telling me this, man?"

"Because I trust you. And…" I smiled. "I just needed to get it off my chest. You don't mind?"

"Of course not! Junpei at your service!"

"Oh. And also… You know how I didn't attend middle school?"

"Oh yeah. Minako kept mentioning you."

"That's because… Well… After our parents died, we both found ourselves another okaa-san. She was attacked by this bunch of thugs, and I left when I was eleven to go after them."

He looked at me like I was crazy as he swallowed some more noodles.

"I killed their whole circle while I travelled all around Japan, and I came back only after I killed the last of their members."

Junpei silently drank the soup that was left in the bowl. "Their group was big. I wasn't expecting it to be as big as it was, but that was why it took a chunk of my middle school time. Yet… I was so stupid."

"What could be stupid about killing those bad guys?"

"I left Minako alone. Our okaa-san died while I was gone, and…" I took a huge bite of ramen and swallowed it almost instantly. I merely sighed at the end of it all. "Sorry for unloading all of this on you. But that is pretty much the reason why I want to keep all you guys safe."

Junpei looked down at his empty bowl, in thought. "No worries about that. But… alright. I see."

"Thanks Junpei."

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Magician Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Brisingr.**

…Eragon now. What are all these swords?

* * *

AN: Things are different, aren't they? Welp, please review and no flames. If a character is a bit OOC please tell me. Though, Minako and Minato's feelings change on my mood, and they are Fools to you don't have to alert on me on this. Oh yeah, pairings are locked for MinatoxMitsuru, ShinjroxMinako, FuukaxHidetoshi and the rest are up to you guys. I don't have pairings for Yukari, Akihiko, Junpei or Aigis. Sorry.

Also, I don't own any of the book themes I mentioned in here, don't kill me!


	3. Master of Strings

_21/04/09 After School_

Once class was over, we seniors decided that we would go for a get together at Mandragora for some karaoke. We of course took my lovely imoto with us. She always did like singing. I have a feeling that she might've liked it even more since I did too. I just have to wonder how Akihiko and Shinjiro's singing was. I had this strange feeling about it, and it was an awfully foreboding one.

Minako volunteered to go first. "Hey can I try it first? Maybe I can raise the morale for everyone. Not that Minato needs it in particular though." Everyone obliged, and Akihiko was especially excited.

'Rolling Star' was the song Minako picked, and if you know anything about Bleach, you'd know that it was one of the openings.

It was nice to hear her sing again. The last time we went to the Velvet Room to practise together was many years ago. And I did miss it a bit.

By the end, everyone was pushing Minako to get the top score. Even Shinjiro. Now that was surprising. "So guys! How'd I do?"

"Minako, that was awesome!" Akihiko was the most excited.

"Tres bien, Minako." Mitsuru complimented her, with a sense of elegance.

"You did good Minako." And Shinji was pulling a small smile, which was pretty rare in his case.

"My imoto… Is coolest of the cool." I used her line, and she pouted a little bit.

Well, Mitsuru was next. And she picked a song called 'Snow Fairy.' Which was the first opening for the Fairy Tail anime.

Mitsuru was good, but she commented that next time she should have chosen a song with a girl vocal instead of a guy. Everyone was pretty impressed none-the-less.

Akihiko was down for the count now, and he chose a song called 'Raison d'Etre.' Think this one was the opening for this anime called Claymore.

Well… I mean he wasn't bad… But well… Let's just say he gave it his all so as to not hurt anyone's feelings here.

Shinji really did not want to sing, but we forced him to anyway. He picked a song called 'Rewrite' which was the last opening for the first Full Metal Alchemist anime.

He actually did ok, if not cracking his voice a little once he got to the chorus. It was kinda funny, but he did his best.

And they saved me for last. I picked a song that was English to everyone's surprise. I picked a song called 'Time and Place.'

_No-one's cool all the time sometimes not at all…_

_Treasure hunt, hope you find what you're looking for…_

_Nikola, we've gotta make a difference…_

_Nikola, we've gotta make a difference…_

_Everywhere that you cruise,_

_Every world that you rule,_

_Every line that you say,_

_Has it's time and it's place._

_Every stare that you see,_

_Everyone that you meet,_

_Every stare that you see,_

_Has it's time and it's place yeah._

_Visions move all the time, don't get left behind…_

_This is love, this is fate, this is my design…_

_Nikola, we've gotta make a difference…_

_Nikola, we've gotta make a difference…_

_Everywhere that you cruise,_

_Every world that you rule,_

_Every line that you say,_

_Has it's time and it's place._

_Every stare that you see,_

_Everyone that you meet,_

_Every stare that you see,_

_Has it's time and it's place yeah._

_We're all waiting… For the world to stop rotating…_

_We're all waiting… For the world to stop rotating…_

_Everywhere that you cruise,_

_Every world that you rule,_

_Every line that you say,_

_Has it's time and it's place._

_Every stare that you see,_

_Everyone that you meet,_

_Every stare that you see,_

_Has it's time and it's place yeah._

_We're all waiting… For the world to stop rotating…_

_We're all waiting… For the world to stop rotating…_

Yup. I still got it. Oh nice. Top score.

"Since when were you good at singing?" Aki asked, surprised. "I've been singing for a while now. Except I never do it since it is a little embarrassing. And who knows what my fan club would do if they found out." I shuddered at the thought.

"Are you considering becoming an artist?" Shinji asked. Then again, if his somewhat secret hobby was cooking, then mine was definitely singing. "No… I can't write. At all. Besides. I only like playing the instruments and singing. I wasn't good at anything else."

Mitsuru stepped in. "Perhaps you could become a cover artist instead. It is just a suggestion though."

"Maybe." I looked off, if a little wistful.

"Onii-chan… Is coolest of the cool!" Minako made her catchphrase again. I ruffled her hair a little. I laughed a bit at her somewhat steaming expression. "If you think so, Minako."

"Anyways… Thanks for coming you guys." I smiled back at the three.

"It's no worries." Aki rubbed the back of his head a little, messing up his silver hair. Mitsuru nodded with a smile, and Shinji had one of his nicer smiles on. "Well, we'll see you later."

"Yup! Bye senpais!" Minako called out as they made their way out of Paulownia Mall.

I looked down at Minako. "We should do this again sometime."

Minako nodded vigorously. "For sure! Next time, we should also bring Yukari and Junpei. I'd like to see how they do!"

I chuckled at the thought of watching Junpei fail miserably with his singing.

_09/05/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

Today, I got the same foreboding feeling on the night that we encountered the Shadow on the roof. Uninviting, heedless and lastly, cold. I told Minako about it.

"Let's go to the dorm. I'm getting that same feeling from that night…"

Minako gave me a thumbs up for noticing it, and we took off with our usual equipment.

We unchained Pale Rider and took off towards the dorms, feeling the stagnant air being ploughed through as I drove. "The feeling… It's getting stronger. It… I feel it in the middle of the monorail tracks." Minako nodded slightly and we stopped at the entrance to Iwatodai station, where we saw Junpei and Yukari waiting.

"Hey guys." I waved to them after I shook my hair out of my face and put my helmet on the handlebars of the bike.

"S-senpai? What are you doing here?" Yukari asked.

"I just got a strange feeling that told me to go towards here. Can't explain it, won't bother."

"Onii-chan's good at sensing strong Shadows, but it only seems to be especially big ones."

Yukari nodded slowly.

"Whoa dude. I thought that motors and electrical equipment…" Junpei started, but I cut him off quickly before he embarrassed himself.

"This is a pretty special bike. I made it using a Persona." I grinned with pride.

"You didn't tell me that onii-chan!" Minako pouted a little. I smiled a little and patted her on the head.

"Wha…? Really? Geez. Anyways… Where is Mitsuru?" As if by some twist of comical relief, Mitsuru arrived just then, and parked her special motorcycle next to mine.

"Oh, Mitsuru-senpai." Yukari looked at her sceptically.

"I'm sorry I'm a little late. I had to get my equipment working…" She looked off to the side, slightly ashamed by her tardiness.

"Wait. Doesn't that stuff run on electricity?" Junpei asked again.

"It's... special." Mitsuru said with a sly smile.

"She means it's been modified by the Kirijo Group." I explained to Junpei.

"Oh. I see. Can I get some of my stuff fixed up too?" Junpei asked a little hopeful. Yukari simply groaned and palmed her head. Minako giggled at his try.

Mitsuru deadpanned at him, and it was obvious she wasn't amused. "Ok fine…" Junpei said, dejected.

"Anyways… Let us begin the operation." Mitsuru pressed a button on her bike and a hologram appeared. She pointed towards the glowing red dot on the map. "The Shadow is located inside a monorail. To get to it, you will need to walk on the tracks."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Yukari asked with a small shiver.

"Monorails run on electricity." Minako explained with her smile. "And they definitely have not been modified." She tacked on the last statement to reassure Yukari, who was surely going to ask that question next.

"We will be sending a team of four. Minato will be in charge. Yukari and Junpei will be coming as well, as you both need to gather more experience. Akihiko will be accompanying as the last member." Akihiko gave a smirk, ready for more battle. Shinjiro simply scoffed at his cheer. "I presume we're taking Akihiko since Shinji might cause more damage with his… axe." I looked at Mitsuru.

"I don't want any insurance bills forwarded to the Kirijo Group if I can help it." Mitsuru nodded. "Now, let's begin the operation."

We ran on the tracks towards the monorail that Mitsuru was directing us towards. I couldn't help but look up at the moon as we went. It glowed steadily, and it lit up the monorail well. I had suggested that we guys make our way up the ladder up to the monorail car first, lest Yukari lash out at Junpei for ogling her butt as she climbed.

"I sense the Shadow at the front of the monorail. Proceed with caution." Mitsuru's voice came through the earpiece. I nodded to myself, and gestured the team to the next carriages. At about the fifth one, we encountered our first Shadow. "Hm. We better be careful. We don't want to get separated."

Junpei was steaming. "But if we don't go after it, we're gonna lose it!"

I slapped my head. "One. The monorail only goes one way. We can't 'lose' it. Two." I glared at the capped kohai. "Are you disobeying me, Junpei?" I could feel warmth rushing to the area around my eyes. They glowed an eerie blue.

Junpei was taken aback and rubbed his head absent-mindedly. "Ok then. Now that we've got that out of the way… We go, as a team."

Good thing, because from then on from the fifth to the eight carriage, it was crawling with Shadows. We cut them down easily, presumably from our training on Tartarus. But at the eight car was when things got hairy. The monorail gave an unpleasant lurch and starting picking up momentum. "W-what the!? Why are we moving!?" Junpei shouted out, with obvious distress. Akihiko was seemingly keeping his cool, but he was sweating bullets anyway. Yukari was shaking uncontrollably.

"The Shadow is in control of the monorail! If we don't stop that thing, it'll crash into another train!" Mitsuru cried out with an unprecedented amount of stress.

I acknowledged the information, and I led the team to the front car.

The next Shadow, the Priestess as Alice told me. It stood before us, grotesque in shape, and especially, position. It was a woman-like Shadow with wiry 'hair' that was more akin to computer cables of some sort. She was scantily clad, and her legs were spread apart. Thankfully, we couldn't see anything immediate as we looked at it from afar as the meagre amount of cloth on it managed to cover at least that. The Shadow was coloured black and white; left side white, right side black, and had a red mask, similar to the ones used at masquerade balls.

"Guys! Spread out around it!" The team did as they were told, and ran to surround the Shadow from the front. Yukari attacked first, sending a straight shot from her quiver, straight towards the seemingly unmoving Priestess. "Take this!" The arrow lodged itself in the Shadow's torso, revealing black ichor, and it winced in pain.

Junpei charged towards the Shadow next, swinging his sword in a huge arc. "You're going down!" The blade managed a substantial cut in the Shadow, spilling forth more ichor.

"Thunder Reign!" Aki summoned his Persona with his Evoker, letting loose the immortal twin brother of Castor. He pointed his syringe towards the sky, and bolts of lightning fell on the Priestess. It was Shocked.

I ran forward with my holy blade, and made a horizontal slash, a vertical, diagonal one and a spin attack to incapacitate it. I grinned. "All for one and one for all! Let's get this on!" I gestured towards the smiling team for an All Out Attack.

Yukari made for multiple Garulas, and Junpei with hacks, with help from his Persona, Hermes. Akihiko unleashed several punches with help from Polydeuces, and I finished it off with a few kicks, punches and lots of hacking. Soon, a shower of ichor fell. But the danger obviously wasn't over yet.

The monorail was still moving. I grinned to myself. "This'll be easy." I muttered to myself.

Mitsuru was frantically shouting out that the train had to be stopped as it still had the momentum going for it.

I casually walked over to the control board, even with the constant jolting and jerking of the monorail. I pulled the red lever and the shriek of grinding metal rang out. We were barely a few metres away from the monorail in front. Good thing I learned about hi-jacking these things. Them thugs always getting in my way.

"Oh god! Is it over!?" Yukari shakily stood up, trying to compose herself.

"Dude! I'm like, drenched in sweat!" Junpei unattractively pointed out.

"I almost thought… Well what's done is done." Akihiko recovered the fastest from the shock.

"Are you guys alright?" Mitsuru asked who evidently was still trying to compose herself.

"Yeah. We're fine." Yukari answered for us.

Junpei turned towards me. "How did you know which one to use?" He looked at me with doubting eyes.

"That's… I've been involved with a few incidents… if you know what I mean." I looked at him with a condescending smirk.

"Wait. You were involved with the train jackings in Narita!?" He looked at me disbelievingly.

"I helped stop, I repeat stop, the train jackings in Narita. And several others that you wouldn't know about because of my influence." I stated.

Yukari and Akihiko looked at me suspiciously, Yukari in particular.

"Eh. This isn't really the time to be talking about my 'achievements.' The Dark Hour will probably be ending soon. We don't want to be here when they turn back to normal." All of the members, distracted from their thoughts with my words, nodded quickly, and we headed back to the dorm with Mitsuru and Shinji.

_11/05/09 Morning_

Today, I learned that midterms were a week away. Joy. No doubt that Mitsuru's gonna be chasing up Akihiko and Shinji to actually do their studies. I'm kinda left out there since I know pretty much everything in the curriculum already. At least I have the comfort of knowing that I'll be able to ace everything without studying.

_After School_

Without much to do, I headed to the Velvet Room to hear about what Igor and whoever else was around was going to say about yesterday.

"Yo. Igor, Eli." I sat down in the lyre back chair, and made myself comfortable in it.

"Hello Minato." Elizabeth made her usual bow.

"Welcome back Minato." Igor greeted. He chuckled a little after that. "I suppose you want to hear about the recent turn of events?"

I nodded. He always knows what I want to talk about. "All I will say, is that you will need to ready for crucial decisions in the future." Cryptic as always. "Now, I do believe Elizabeth has something to show you." He gestured towards her.

"Follow me Minato!" She gave a smile, and led me towards a door which I hadn't seen before. It was a silver door, seemingly in pristine condition. "Go on!" I obliged with a small smile, and she closed the door behind me. "This place is similar to the Forge; the Quadrangle. But it has different properties to it." I looked around, and the walls were made of crystal. They were formed in intricate patterns, like the arches in Paris. "This here," She gestured to the crystal anvil in the middle. "…Is where you can change your Weapons. By this, I mean that you can change what form the Persona you smash takes, and change the Skills that are attached to the weapon." I nodded to myself, thinking about how I could use it. "You can change the skills by bonding Skill Cards to the Weapon."

I turned towards the blonde-haired attendant. "Thanks Eli."

"It's no worries, Minato." She bowed a little and exited the crystal room.

_18/05/09 Morning_

Oh man. Midterms start today. I'll ace it though, no problem. I just hate that it takes up some precious hanging out time.

_23/05/09 Dark Hour_

"Guys! You have to run!" The group reluctantly followed me, and I was going towards the access point.

Dammit. I was hoping that we would encounter it when we were all a bit stronger. Talk about crap luck here.

A black cloaked figure with a hood carrying revolvers and only showing one yellow eye emerged from the corridor. "Come on guys! We're almost here!" Once all members were accounted for, we jumped through the green pad.

I got myself however shakily, up onto my feet. "Is everyone here?" I looked back and Junpei, Yukari and Shinji were alright, if not disoriented from the extreme pressure the Reaper emanated.

"Dude! What was that!?" Junpei gasped out.

"That was the Reaper." Shinji grunted while dusting his uniform off.

"The Reaper?" Yukari asked, with evident fear.

I nodded. "It's a very powerful monster that roams the halls of Tartarus. It comes out every so often, and I would say you're lucky if you're me, and screwed if you're still about the power level you are now." I stated bluntly. "I could one hit KO the thing, but I would be severely weakened if I used… that move."

"That move?" Junpei asked next.

"Armageddon." Junpei's face paled in response and said nothing more.

"Mitsuru… I think it would be best if we went home for now."

"Yes. It would be prudent to leave since you all look a little worse for the wear." She nodded, her eyes closed in resignation.

_26/05/09 Lunchtime_

Top marks, woohoo. I tied with Mitsuru. Akihiko was above average, somewhere around the middle, and Shinji… Well. He actually did pretty good. I gave a thumbs up to all of them who were standing nearby and walked off to check what Minako got.

Minako got top marks. Hurrah. Yukari did pretty decent, being around the top ten, and Junpei.

…We don't talk about Junpei.

_1/06/09 Morning_

So, now's about the time where I have to wear my summer uniform. Oh summer. Yeah I don't really have an opinion on it, except that I don't really mind it at all. However knowing about my special circumstances, and with a bit of approval from Mitsuru, I continued to wear my blazer. Just 'cause. After that tango with Death, I'm not sure whether I wanted to reveal something very crucial about my arm and make me gain more attention. Lord knows that I want that of all things. I think I've had enough for one high school experience.

"Oh. Hey Fuuka. What's up?"

"Oh, um… Moriyama-san and her friends… I think they're…" The dark-green haired girl stuttered.

"Are they doing what I think they're doing again? I thought they would've stopped by now." I gritted my teeth. "I'll do what I can. But why did you ask me? Hidetoshi-kun is the one in charge of the disciplinary committee."

"A-ah! Well…" She was obviously caught by surprise, and she was blushing profusely.

I put on an understanding smile. "Haha. I see. All the more reason to go to him next time though." She nodded slowly, with her eyes still looking down towards the ground. "I mean if you need it and they still want to bother you after I'm done with them."

"Thank you senpai."

**Thou art I, and I am thou.**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Priestess Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Fidelacchius.**

…Ok then. "It's fine. They'll get a good talking to." I gave a sincere smile, and Fuuka smiled back, with an equally radiant smile.

_After School_

"Wait, what?" I slapped my forehead, going through the bullies' information. I pinched the bridge of the nose in disappointment. "Why would you even try? You can't seriously get some kind of satisfaction out of that, can you?" Though, I'm not exactly one to talk. However, that is something they don't need to know. "Anyways, I'm just happy that you eventually stopped. Don't do it again. Next time you do it, I'm not going to just let you off with a few detentions."

Natsuki-san and her friends nodded quickly.

"Cool. Well then… I have some stuff to get to. Have a good one."

I heard some murmuring as I left and it was something along the lines of, 'even when he's angry he's nice.' I shook my head. When I'm angry, people die. It was all just a façade.

_Dark Hour_

"What's up?" I asked as Yukari and Junpei were conversing. "Oh, senpai. We were just discussing the rumours that were popping up before. About the ghost? Apparently, the girls who collapsed hung out around the alleys of Port Island Station. We were planning to—"

The area around my eyes heated up, and they flashed that tone of blue again. "Don't even think about it."

"But, why?" Yukari was a little shaken by my sudden ferocity.

"Because you guys don't know how to handle the underbelly here." I sighed.

"E-exactly, Yuka-tan…" Junpei was obviously eager to get out of my wrath.

"Listen. If you guys really want information from the dark dealers, just ask me. I know how to handle them. Just leave it to me."

_07/06/09 Dark Hour_

That day I heard a lot of things. Some good info, and then there were the unreliable twits with a small cut in their necks. Oh no, they're not dead. Scared to shit? Yeah.

"So basically… the rumours about the girls becoming unconscious… The school turned into Tartarus, and the Shadows were having a field day with their new lunches." I blew out a smoke ring. "I better get going." Finally satisfied with the info I managed to gather, I left.

_08/06/09 After School, Full Moon_

The foreboding feeling from before was coming on quite early. Minako was obviously happy that we were able to be ready in advance. I also found it nice that I was able to find out early too. This way, the Shadows won't get their chance to destroy anything if it comes to that.

But I think I'm starting to notice something about the days. Aren't they all days when the moon is full?

"Yukari, Junpei." I called out to them.

"'Sup Minato-senpai." Junpei had his trademark grin on.

"Oh, senpai." Yukari looked to me a little sheepish.

"Relax… Anyways… Good to know for you Yukari, since this was probably what you were worried about. No ghosts. Shadows." I explained.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Well, that I can deal with."

"And also, we have another big Shadow, like on the monorail and on the roof. Be sure to tell Mitsuru when you get back to the dorm."

"Really? Well, ok." Yukari said, with a small shiver.

"Alright! Time to kick some ass!" Junpei cheered. And at that moment, all the students that were in the classroom were looking to me and Junpei. Junpei… Why did you shout that out?

"Anyways… Timeformetogobye." I bolted out of the classroom, passing by Minako who was making her way to the motorcycle. She let out a small giggle and hurried to the Pale Rider with me.

_Dark Hour_

"Have you found it yet, onii-chan?" Minako asked expectantly.

"Um… It's at Tartarus." I looked off absently.

"Oh ok then!" She took me by my wrist and dragged me to the area where I kept my motorcycle, and rode off like usual.

"Eh…?" Oh no. "Minako… I think something is very… very wrong to say the least." She looked at me sceptically. "Huh?"

"I sense someone in the tower. And it isn't any one of SEES." A bead of sweat dropped down. "It's…" I looked off sheepishly.

"Come on… You can say it!"

"It's Fuuka-chan." I said with my eyes squeezed closed, almost expecting something to hit me on the head. "We have to rescue her!" Minako fretted.

"Good thing, because the Shadows are just now getting close to the tower." I said with a small sigh. "I'll go get her." Minako said still smiling.

I made a little nod, and breathed out a sigh of relief. Then I remembered that of course she wouldn't hit me because I didn't tell her that I met up with Fuuka until just now. And… Minako probably wouldn't hit me. Not physically anyways.

After about five minutes, the rest of the team filled into the tower.

"Where is Minako-chan?" Aki asked half-curious, half-worried.

"Ah, well she went to get something from the upper floors quickly. She should be back sometime so-" The entrance to Tartarus was filled with two Shadows. They were big Shadows, on par with the one that we just faced on the train.

"Tch! What the hell!?"

Yeah. Even Shinji was surprised. I couldn't blame him though. They were pretty big compared to normal Shadows, and it wasn't really something you would expect. Scratch having one big Shadow to deal with, there are two of them…

One, the Empress resembled a queen, which makes sense, and was pretty short and stout. She carried a sceptre and the mask it wore was where we would think the face and eyes would be. The Emperor however, was tall and lean, and carried a sword instead of a sceptre like the Empress. In fact, the sword it was holding looked way too heavy for it. I actually found the pair kinda funny.

"Mitsuru! Analysis, now!"

Mitsuru nodded quickly and closed her eyes in concentration. "The Empress it weak to all Physical attacks, and the Emperor is weak to all Magic attacks."

"Good to know."

I dodged out of the way of a swing made by the Emperor Shadow. "Guys! Yukari, Akihiko! Focus on the Emperor for now! Junpei, you're with me!" He followed me to face the stout Shadow, and I kept a barrage of Primal Forces going while Junpei threw some Assault Dives on it. "Aki, Yukari! How're going!?" I called out as the Empress was incapacitated by our combined sword slashes after it was knocked down.

"Garudyne!" With that, the Emperor was knocked down just like the Empress. Which I must note is rolling around comically on its back. "This is our chance for an All-Out Attack!" Yukari shouted.

I gave the go-ahead with a nod, and without too much trouble performed several attacks, Personae and non-Personae, but they weren't finished yet. "They're obviously stronger than the last one!" I called out. Just then, I felt a shift in power. "Wait, just a minute! Mitsuru!"

"Urgh… I can't isolate the weakness! But they seemed to have changed… Be careful!" Mitsuru said, quite distressed.

"Hey guys! What I miss?" A loud and spunky voice which I could recognise all too well resounded throughout the lobby. "Minako! Glad you could join us." I said with a smirk. "Yo. I found her!"

Fuuka stepped out of the teleporter and she was quite disoriented. Not that I could blame her. "We need a bit of help! We can't scan the weakness of the Shadows." I stated as Minako ran towards me. "Oh. Well… Fuuka-chan! Can you do it again?"

The teal-haired girl nodded quickly, and put the… whoa. The Evoker to her head. "Persona…Lucia!" A glass bubble formed around Fuuka, and that was just the bottom part of the Persona. Overall, it looked like a woman, and it appeared to be a seer of some sort. "The Empress… It's weak to Magic attacks… The Emperor is weak to Physical attacks." Her voice poured forth into our ears, and it sounded just like she was talking through water.

"Thanks, Fuuka. Mitsuru, let Fuuka take your place! She's a Sensory type!" Mitsuru nodded and moved to join the others in the battle. "Penthesilea!" She pulled the gleaming gun to her head, and a blue female warrior appeared. "Bufudyne!" Blocks of absolute zero hailed down on the Empress. The targeted Shadow disappeared into a flurry of red and black mist. She smiled, quite satisfied.

"God's Hand!" I summoned Orpheus, bringing the musician into the Dark Hour. A golden fist descended from the heavens, and the remaining Shadow was destroyed. "Good job, everyone!" I put a V-sign as I sensed no more Shadows. "The mission was successful. Now… I should probably bring it up now while everyone is here."

"What is it, Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"Have you noticed that the days these big Shadows appear are on full moon nights?"

Everyone was surprised except for Junpei and Shinji. "Just saying."

_12/06/09 Dark Hour_

"It's good to see you again, Minato." Alice said with a soft smile.

"Alice. What's up?" She sat down on my bed, while I sat up. "Ah well… It's just that I've been noticing that my memories are coming back, since the last time you defeated the two Shadows that my powers are alerting you to."

"Oh really? That's good." I replied.

"Apparently, the 'End' is coming." She sighed. "The end of everything."

"Like… World destruction?" I asked warily.

"Something like that, I guess." She sighed. "I wonder why anyone would want to wish for that…"

"I have an idea why. People are going through suffering, so they want to get rid of all of it. Death as salvation I guess. Even though… It doesn't really help."

Alice nodded. "I guess so. Well, I'll see you later." She gave me a brief V-sign and disappeared into darkness.

_13/06/09 After School_

"Minato…" Mitsuru caught up to me. "What's up Mitsuru?"

She gave me a wide smile. I prided myself on being the only person to ever see this kind of smile. She hardly ever uses it. "I'm finally going to be able to help you train with Junpei and Yukari again. Fuuka has taken my place as back-up." I smiled. "It's good to finally have you back on the team, Mitsuru."

"Do you feel like going out?" Mitsuru was blushing slightly, and she actually used colloquial language for once. "Sure. I'll just tell Minako where I'm going."

"I'll be waiting."

"MINAKO! I'M GOING ON A DATE! WE'RE GOING WITH MITSURU!"

"OK COOL!"

"Ok. That was fun. So, shall we get going?" I asked with a barely noticeable smirk. Minako had the sense to stay quiet at this time.

"Of course." She said with the same kind of expression I was wearing at the time. We drove over to Paulownia Mall, and dropped off Pale Rider and Minako. We soon made our way to Hagakure and got ourselves a bowl of ramen.

"How long has it been since we went out here just the two of us?" Mitsuru started.

"I'm not really sure… But I'm just happy that we're doing it again." I took a bite out of the hot noodles.

"Yes…" She looked off nostalgically.

"What's up?" I made a grin.

"Ah, well… I was just thinking about…" Her cheeks flared. I knew what she was talking about then. "Oh… You mean that?"

"I still don't know whether it was the right thing. But at least the Kirijo Group is still going strong."

"Of course. If it turned out alright in the end, or even better, then you shouldn't really complain."

"Well… yes." She gave me another smile. "I really shouldn't."

"Attagirl." I grinned.

_07/07/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

We quickly broke down the door, though it was mostly my and Shinji's effort.

Inside we saw the next Shadow, and it was fat as all heck. It was shaped in the image of an old chubby man sat on a chair, and there was this strange tall thing for lack of a better term, standing behind the main Shadow, with its hands… wrapped around the man's face loosely. Talking about weird here.

"Guys! Surround it… Actually…" I thought for a moment. One of those troublesome beds was sitting right behind the Hierophant Shadow, so it would be a little awkward to surround. Shirakawa Boulevard: Bane of my Existence. I mean, why!? It's freaking Shirakawa Boulevard. And in one of those hotels… Things could go down, and not sure if they'll be the good kind.

"Form a line around it. Do not go behind it."

Everyone, as in, Mitsuru, Junpei and Yukari nodded quickly, though the capped goatee did so with a little disdain. "Ok, let's go!"

Mitsuru went in for a Bufudyne, and blocks of ice formed around the Shadow, trapping it and causing damage at the same time.

"Garudyne!" Io appeared out form the mist that poured out of Yukari, and green tornadoes made their way ripping the ice from the ground, and pushing the shards of cold into the Shadow's flesh, spilling ichor.

"Great job, Yuka-tan!" Junpei made his way towards the weakened Hierophant, and made for some slashes on it, forming splashes of black blood from its spongy flesh.

"Ok then… Vorpal Blade!" I summoned the Greek god of Death, Thanatos, and he ripped his sword through the Shadow's flesh several times, leaving it shredded, but still alive and still pretty energised.

"It's a tough bugger." I mumbled to myself.

The thing behind the main shadow started laughing, somewhat creepily, and it let loose a haze of black, grey and blue. It fell on us and very suddenly, I felt scared. But it wasn't the kind of fear I usually felt. It was different to say the least. When I get scared, which is hardly often, it's when someone close to me is going to die.

"Prophecy of Ruin." Alice's voice echoed in my mind. "It Fears you."

"Crap! Mitsuru! You alright?" I shouted out.

"Yes. This is a troublesome enemy… But we should be fine as long as we can get our two kohai out of their imposed stupor." More complicated language. "Hm. I pulled a lavender coloured gem, however shakily and smashed it on the ground. The gem shattered, and the comforting violet mist took the Fear away.

"Woah!" Junpei snapped out of his Fear quickly and brought his katana up into a stance. A baseball-like stance. I palmed my head inwardly. Yukari also came back to her senses, and she readied her bow. "Whew…Rrgh…" Yukari growled a little at the offending Shadow, and shot a speeding arrow at the Hierophant. "Die!"

The Hierophant wasn't quite done yet, and I noticed that in the time I spent healing my two kohai, Mitsuru had used a Mind Charge, and a violet aura covered her body. "Bufudyne!"

The super-powered pillars of ice up-ended the Shadow from below, destroying it upon skewering. "Looks like…" A throbbing headache attacked, and I knew that this wasn't over just yet. "We're not done here." Then my mind whited out.

_Embrace your desires…_

My desires? What the hell? What is that? There's something soft and warm… resting on top…

I quickly tried to block out more of the thing was saying. Ooh grizzly.

I finally opened my eyes. I turned my head to the side, and I realised what was happening. "Uhhh… Mitsuru…?"

She yawned a little, and opened her eyes. As soon as she realised what she was doing, she blushed profusely, and turned around to face the other side, to the wall. "I…" She shook her head.

I sighed. "Don't worry… I won't look."

I heard her hair make a whipping noise, and I thought that she might've turned around quickly as she sat up. That I could tell from the rustling of the bed sheets. I was very tempted to look at her, but I managed to resist. But if this is ending up how I think it is ending up… I wonder how Yukari and Junpei are doing. I grinned. Thing is, Mitsuru and I didn't mind as much since we were already in a serious relationship and we trusted each other more. Yukari and Junpei are just friends though. And they have a kinda love-hate relationship with each other.

"Um, you can turn around now." Mitsuru's voice called out softly.

"Mmhm." I got up and slapped on my pants, shirt, blazer… and I just remembered something. She can see it.

"Minato?"

"Uuuh… yes?" I turned around just after I did up my fly.

"I thought…"

"Mmhm."

She must've seen the look in my eyes, because she answered with what I wanted most at that very moment. "It's alright. I'll keep that secret for now."

"Thanks Mitsuru-hime." I grinned and put my white shirt on. I took my MP3 player and the lanyard it was attached to and slung it around my neck. I pulled on my blazer, and put my shoes on last.

I planted a kiss on her cheek, and she made the wide smile that she made back in Hagakure. We exited the room, and we finally came into contact with Fuuka again.

"Oh! I'm sorry! The remaining Shadow was interfering with your thoughts…"

"Fuuka, it's fine. We're both fine." I said happily.

"…Ok then. Is something the matter?"

"Nope. We're ok." I turned to the accompanying red-head and she seemed to share the same sentiment. Not to mention that she threw a look that screamed 'Don't tell her what happened or I'll execute you.' Pleasant.

"Ok. You guys can meet up with the others on the second floor."

"Will do." I smirked. Now to see Yukari and Junpei's reaction to all this. Mitsuru must have been thinking the same thing, because she gave me a soft smile that indicated she was curious as well.

We ran to meet up with the two kohai, and needless to say they did not look very happy.

"What's up guys?" I addressed them, and they snapped out of their staring contest.

"Er…um…Tch." Junpei was at a loss for words. Yukari kept her mouth firmly shut, and looked averted his gaze.

"Guys?" I snapped my fingers. "We should probably go looking for that Shadow now?"

"Oh um, yeah senpai." Yukari seemed to soften her expression a bit.

"From what I can tell, the Shadow's sealed the doors that lead into the chamber where it is now. Um…"

I looked in one of the rooms from which I could feel some strange energy, and I noticed one of the mirrors in the room.

"Fuuka. I think I found it. This mirror is a bit strange. I don't see any reflection."

"Oh! That's it! The mirrors contain some of the Shadow's power. If we break them we should be able to weaken the seal on the door."

I nodded to myself, and punched the strange, slightly glowing mirror. It let out a satisfying crack, and a black cloud rushed out of it. "Mmhm. How many more Fuuka?"

"One more."

"Cool. Let's go." Junpei, Yukari and Mitsuru followed behind me, to the next room where the last mirror was. Alice's power led me to a room on the third floor, which was convenient as the room where the Shadow resided was on that very floor. I promptly broke the mirror with a well-controlled kick, and Fuuka started again.

"Great job! The room should be open now."

We rushed towards that room, and I almost broke the door down. Almost.

"Ok, I've got a bone to pick with you!" The capped teen readied his stance like he did last time.

This Shadow which I found out to be the Lovers was akin to a large floating heart with goo-like wings. It was dark pink all around, and was covered in gold bindings, which criss-crossed each other. Those same gold filings were adorned with spikes on the places where they intersected. Inside the heart, I could faintly make out the silhouettes of a man and a woman. Hm.

"You will not make me do that again!" Yukari was fuming, and she readied her bow.

"Spread out." The team did so, with a lot of room to spare. "Yeah… Anyways. Ziodyne!" The summoned lightning god, Thor raised his hammer and summoned a huge bolt of lightning. Unfortunately it did not Shock the Lovers, but you can't ask for too much right now.

"Penthesilea!" Now this was an attack I wasn't expecting. "Vorpal Blade!" Several slashes made their way across the Shadow's skin, letting ichor flow out.

"Garudyne!" Green tornadoes ripped into the Lovers, and more black blood was revealed.

"Gigantic Fist!" Hermes charged into the Shadow, head and wings first. If it didn't pour out ichor, it at least left a bruise.

It was the Shadow's turn next, and it released a Maragion on us. Fortunately, most of us were alright, but Mitsuru having a weakness to Ice was not so lucky. Junpei in particular was still going strong, having an affinity with Fire instead. "Everyone alright?"

Mitsuru nodded slightly as she lifted herself off the ground.

It released a Marin Karin on us next…

My mind went blank. Did I really just get charmed by a Marin-freaking-Karin?

My eyes heated up, and they started glowing an eerie cyan. My mind was absolutely out of it.

The next thing I noticed when I came to, was Mitsuru giving me a kiss.

No-one seemed to be affected, and that may have been Alice's influence causing me not to hurt my friends. I'll have to thank her later.

She was blushing quite a bit, and who could blame her? "Thanks Mitsuru." She released me from her grip, and I turned to face the Shadow. Oh come on, what now? The Lovers Shadow released some bolts akin to an arrow of cupid's, and Alice's voice echoed in my mind. "Holy Arrow. Pierce damage and chance of Charm."

I dodged out of the way of the arrows aimed at Mitsuru and I, and Mitsuru jumped out of the way. Yukari threw a Dis-Charm at Junpei's head who was apparently affected by the things. The item hit him on the head and he snapped out of it. I hate Charm status even more.

It was making me very frustrated. "Ne… Orpheus."

"Let's go."

"Mass Destruction." The jazz theme rang out of Orpheus' lyre, and I rapped the words of the male vocal.

_I thought I told ya to sit down..._

I grinned as I finished the song. On the end beat, the Shadow exploded in a mass of pink and ichor.

Orpheus disappeared and I grinned at the rest of the team. "So… How'd you guys like that?"

Mitsuru was used to it since performing in front of the barricades that blocked the way up to the rest of the tower let them open. I supposed it was an analogy to how Orpheus used his heart-rending music to get past the guardians of hell; in Tartarus.

Yukari was fairly surprised, but I could tell she was happy.

Junpei… Hey. I think he got over his superiority complex! He was still grinning like mad when we came out of the building.

* * *

Like the Karaoke? Well, also to tell you that Minato and his homies are pretty OP. Haha... Things will meet his match though, so don't worry. Review, and no flames please!

Lastly, please tell me how I can improve the relationships between the characters to define them in particular, and what I should focus on more, like Minato's thoughts, maybe bit more description, or the dialogue.

I appreciate it!


	4. This Is What I'll Do

_17/07/09 Dark Hour_

If you have any common interests with me, you'd know that I will not tell anyone about how my exams went, because I don't particularly care about them, and when I tell someone things about things I'm not interested in, I make the topic as boring as humanly possible. What we really want to know about is that SEES is going to Yakushima for summer vacation. Now that's going to be fun.

Also, Mitsuru managed to find another Persona user, and it was Ken. Who I affectionately call Kendo, Kenji or Kenjamin just 'cause, and I thought it would be funny. He greeted us all with formality, but he seemed to be very happy to see us seniors, but was mostly happy when he came into eye contact with Minako.

Yeah, exams finished today, and that is all I'm going to speak about the matter. Now…

"Hey Minato." The only feminine voice that came regularly to check up on me spoke out.

"Hello Alice." I smiled back.

"Yup. Now, can you tell me about the trip that you're going on?" She grinned mischievously.

"Uhh… We're going to Yakushima for our trip." I explained.

"Ah, I see." She continued her smile. "I suppose I can… amuse myself while you are there. I'll have a lot to see as I see a lot of things you see too. But, of course, that's just my reminder that I'm always with you." Her smile softened and it wasn't the childish one that she was donning earlier. It was one tinged with sadness.

"Well alright. I have a good feeling about this trip, but…" I closed my eyes in thought. "Whenever I think about the good things that could happen, this retching feeling wells in my stomach."

"It can't possibly be that bad. Ah. I just remembered." She put on a troubled face.

"What's up?"

"How would you feel if we could talk to each other more often?" She said the sentence quite quickly. She must have had to actually work up some courage to say it all. "I wouldn't mind at all. We can talk, pretty much, as often as you'd like."

"Thanks Minato." She clutched where her heart would be, with a small smile, and vanished into the darkness. I clenched my grip around my chest as well. "You're welcome… Alice."

_20/07/09 Morning_

"YA-KU-SHI-MA!" Junpei shouted out to no-one in particular, but rather to the ocean. He had his trademark grin on.

Yukari, Minako and Fuuka were socializing in one part of the boat, and I could tell that almost every one of them is blushing. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were talking about guys. And their likes. I was nearby and I managed to get a few snippets of their conversation. I somehow heard Minako saying a lot of things about Shinjiro while she wore a happy smile. It's a good thing Shinjiro isn't as dense as Akihiko. I couldn't imagine what would happen if she liked our resident protein junkie instead. Nope. Stop thinking about it.

From Yukari, I heard her saying things about how she hasn't found anyone of particular like yet. And I overhead Fuuka talking about Hidetoshi. Oh am I getting a kick out of this.

"Minato?" Mitsuru approached me with a smile. "What are you doing?"

I whispered to her, "Minako likes Shinji."

"What?" She said, a little louder than I would've liked. "Shh…" I put up one finger and pressed it against her soft lips with a wink. "It's supposed to be a bit of a secret that one."

"Ah, I see." She gave a knowing smile, and sat next to me on the sun chairs I was occupying. I ran my hand through her red hair, and she blushed slightly.

"Whoa! Is this really it!?" Junpei exclaimed.

A few maids in black and white walked over to us. Cue the pervert in three… two… one…

"Dude. Real-life maids!" He grinned slightly lecherously at the sight. But I already have Mitsuru, so I wasn't really affected.

Yukari groaned, and Shinji scoffed. Akihiko was oblivious as always, and Mitsuru incurred no reaction, possibly due to the fact that she knows she loves me, and well… she's a girl.

After Junpei finished his rant about maids were awesome, the fearsome eye-patch man made his appearance. A smile was forcing its way out of the corners of his mouth, and it was a smile directed at Mitsuru and I.

"It's good to see you're all here." And then he returned his gaze to his daughter and I specifically. "And, it's a pleasure to see my daughter and you Minato." I scratched my head, a bit embarrassed. He was my father figure when Minako and I didn't have one. But it was more focused on me, since okaa-san seemed to always want to get Minako out of his range. It always baffled me then, but I realised soon after that she was trying to pair me up with Mitsuru. Sly okaa-san.

"Hey again!" I grinned.

"After you have your fun at the beach, and I want to speak to both you and Mitsuru, if that is alright." That smile that was trying to force its way out earlier finally broke out, and it certainly was refreshing to see that smile again. Being used in front of others even.

"Well…" I looked to Mitsuru who had a smile of approval on her face. "Ok then."

"White sand, cool breeze, yup. Summer is here!" Junpei started his rant about how awesome summer as a season was and how much energy he gets by being out in summer. We guys mostly sweated in embarrassment at the sight. Oh if people could see him, they would probably be running for the hills.

"Whoa." Junpei promptly stopped his rant as he saw the girls walk into the beach from the forest. It was Yukari he noticed first. He kept on noting her 'carefully toned bod' and her 'aggressive material.' As in, her figure and her swimsuit. On her head sat a pair of brown sunglasses, and her bikini was striped with white, pink and an orangey-cream colour. Needless to say, she looked quite nice.

Yukari started to fume under Junpei's comments and quickly blurted out how much of a pervert he was, only for him to retort that it was indeed a guy thing, to which Shinjiro responded with a sick burn that noted that Akihiko, he and I weren't like that. It was quite funny to see.

Fuuka walked in next, and she looked nice too. Junpei stood dumbstruck at her and made an actual compliment at her. "Whoa, Fuuka-san. You…look…You should wear a swimsuit more often." Well, as much of a compliment as you can get from Junpei anyways. Fuuka immediately blushed, and responded with a small yelp.

Minako came out from the forest next, and my imoto was beautiful. Who am I kidding? She always is. She was wearing a bikini which was white, and had orange rimming the parts. She responded to Junpei's comments with a small smile. Minako obviously had the more peaceful reaction. Even Fuuka's one was a lot more dramatic… I could very well look at her all day. But I realised that there was someone left.

Mitsuru came in with a white bikini that accented her curves. Her porcelain skin almost blended in with the colour of her swimsuit. And in her hair, was a bright red flower with yellow anthers. I walked to her. "Mitsuru… You look beautiful."

Her face was barely tinted with a blush and she replied, "T-thank you Minato…" I took her hand with a smile and led her to the umbrellas that were set up. I flopped down onto the soft sand, and Mitsuru settled herself on the towel. I chuckled a bit and sat myself upright on the sand.

"Aren't you feeling hot?" Well, I guess I was. But it was either show off the fate of my arm or tolerate the heat. As it is, I'd rather tolerate heat and leave my hoodie on. What would Minako say if she saw?

"Well yes… but you know about my…" She gave me an understanding look. "And that is why I'm not going in the water. Unfortunately." And no-one will ever go with me to an onsen. Never. Especially if it is one that allows both boys and girls. I shivered slightly at the thought.

I got up and Mitsuru began to relax on the towel. I got up to see what the team was doing. Akihiko was running around on the sand, probably seeing it as a kind of training. Of course he would see it as a kind of training, what are you thinking? Shinji was being Shinji and was making a sand castle. Maybe I should make one too… But it will be a man castle instead. Now that, will be awesome.

Junpei, Yukari and Fuuka were splashing water on each other. It was funny to say the least. Junpei was being doubled team by Yukari and Fuuka, and he was mostly targeting the green-haired girl for her reaction. It was cute in all honesty. It reminded me of Hinata from Naruto. Yukari was fuming and throwing buckets on the capped teen like a soldier throwing sand and ashes down a death hole at a mediaeval fort. Brutal and unmerciful. By the time I got there, he was already drenched with sea water, and Yukari was laughing like a crazy villain from a video game.

After I had my fun climbing up a tree and promptly grabbing two flowers, which inspired Akihiko to do the same, even I'm not really sure how this would help him in his 'training.' They were pretty flowers to say the least. To say the most, I'd say they were gorgeous. They were a white flowers with streaks of a pale blue colour emerging from their centres, and the colour reminded me of the shade of the mist that came out of our minds when he were summoning our persona. In the middle there were bright yellow anthers. I decided to keep them just for funsies and because they were too pretty to throw away.

_Evening_

"Now for the talk." Takeharu-san, Mitsuru's father called the both of us into his study. I was somewhat stiff, and I stiffened even more so when I walked into the room with the red-haired heiress to the Kirijo Group.

Mitsuru pulled me into the room quite coaxingly and I finally sat myself down on a chair. It was one uncomfortable atmosphere for me, but Mitsuru was smiling and Takeharu had a small smirk on. I held myself still out of cautiousness.

"You can relax, Minato." Takeharu-san said.

"Err… ok." I let out a breath that I didn't even know that I was holding in. "Then what's up Takeharu-san?"

"Well…" My hairs bristled as he revealed what he wanted us here for. And I could feel my cheeks heating up and I was getting flustered as all heck. Mitsuru put her hand on mine and squeezed it. She was smiling that wide smile that I usually only saw. "Then… yeah. Definitely." I grinned at the Kirijos and Takeharu-san made a satisfied smile. Mitsuru was soon to give me a peck on the cheek as we walked out of the lion's den, and… Godammit Junpei!

_21/07/09 Morning_

The girls left a note saying they were going to go to the Jomon-cedar tree in the forest, so we guys decided that we would go and relax at the beach while they went.

"Guys. I'm bored." Junpei groaned as he flopped onto the sand.

"Well what do you suppose we do?" Shinjiro looked at Junpei darkly. He must've not wanted to be interrupted while he was making his sand castle.

Junpei flinched, but continued anyway. "Well, first rule of combat. When you run out of ammo, you pick it up on the battle field." I could see what he was doing. And I didn't like it. "Dude! I have a girlfriend!" And I'm getting married apparently.

"So? It's not like you're suddenly gonna spend some time with them, it's just for a little fun." Junpei grinned.

"Junpei… That kind of attitude is going to get you killed by every woman you meet." I muttered to myself.

"Akihiko… bet you can't pick up a few chicks…" Junpei made an attempt to provoke Akihiko, and it worked. "What!?" He growled a little, and I knew that his competitive nature was kicking in. Shinjiro promptly joined in to make sure Aki came out of this mess alive.

I groaned and walked to my left towards a cropping of rocks. Then I noticed a white maiden in a light blue sundress. Something stirred up when I looked at her, and went to get closer. The tugging around my heart grew more frequent and even stronger. Alice…

I got closer and she turned around to face me. Her face contorted into one of surprise.

Her eyes were a striking blue, just like Alice's. She stared at me for a while, and I started to get uncomfortable under her gaze. "Subject identified. It is my highest priority…" She flew into my chest with a hug. "…to be with you."

She was very familiar. When I looked at her, there was this wrenching feeling in my heart. "What's your name?" She broke off her hug and responded with, "My name is Aigis."

"Okay then Aigis, I'm Minato." She nodded.

Hmm… I pulled out one of the flowers that I picked up yesterday, which amazingly wasn't damaged in any way, and put one of them in her hair. "That looks better." I smiled.

She carefully put her fingers up to the flower and touched it gently. With her moving her hair I noticed her fingers didn't look quite normal. They were black tipped. She made a small smile.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast established a link with the Aeon Arcana…**

**Thou shalt have our blessing when fusing Weapons and Personae of the Aeon Arcana…**

I blinked at the new link, but shrugged it off.

At that moment I heard the other guys shouting, and they were coming this way. She promptly flew in for another hug which I supposed was for thanks.

"Dude!" Junpei's voice resounded as he came closer and I turned around. I sighed. Akihiko and Junpei looked at me disbelievingly, and Shinjiro was smirking at me. "Hi guys." I said with dripping venom. "How did you-?"Junpei pointed at me.

"She's just a friend." I gestured to her.

With that, Minako, Mitsuru, Fuuka and Yukari ran out from the forest. "Guys! We have to get ready for battle!" Yukari threw out.

Minako was holding in a laugh that was threatening to blast out as she looked at me and Aigis. I deadpanned at her, and she started smiling some more. "Huh? What are you doing here, Aigis?" Takeharu made his way onto the beach. Everyone turned to him and I could notice a small smirk make its way onto his face as he noticed me with Aigis. "As a side note, you don't have to worry Mitsuru."

Her betrayed look left her face leaving it relaxed.

_Evening_

Aigis without her sundress, walked into the hall. Without the sundress, you could see the metallic parts that were obvious on her shoulders and legs. "This is Aigis, a mechanical maiden." Takeharu introduced. "A seventh generation Anti-Shadow Weapon."

Everyone stared in astonishment at the robot, and they were waiting for some more information about the mysterious Shadow Weapon. "She has been at this lab for about ten years after she was damaged in a a particularly powerful Shadow." Aigis looked around at the people who surrounded her.

Powerful Shadow ten years ago? Wait. Now that I think about it, the figure that was fighting Death was white, and had blonde hair. And while Death can't really be said to be a Shadow, it cut my arm off within a few seconds of me even seeing the thing. I inadvertently clutched my shoulder. But since I was standing behind everyone, no-one was able to see except for Takeharu and Aigis. Takeharu grimaced, and Aigis seemed a bit flustered.

Aigis was the one that sealed Death in me.

I ran out to the beach. I kept running through the forest. And I reached the shore.

"Minato-san?" Aigis' robotic voice called out from behind me.

"Oh. Aigis." I looked down at the ground.

"What's wrong? You seemed to be worried about something. Especially when you reached the gaze of my receptors last. I do not comprehend." She came a bit closer. "Is there something you know about that I don't? If so, please tell me."

"Ne… Do you still remember that night ten years ago?"

"The night I remember last is sometime after the attack that I was supposedly crippled in."

"Ah… Is that so…? I suppose if you see this, you might be able to remember something." I made a bit of a mirthful chuckle. I pulled off my jacket.

Her eyes widened as she saw it. "Minato-kun… I'm…" She flew into a hug. "I'm so sorry…! I failed!"

"It's alright… It was the only way." I rubbed her back. "If it makes you feel any better, my sister and I are safe, and I'm friends with what you chained me to." If only to accompany Aigis' sobbing, I heard another soft chorus of tears in the back of my mind which could only have been Alice's. "You're okay?" Aigis asked tugging at my jacket. "And… you're friends with it?" I nodded. "I'm friends with her." I zipped up my jacket. "Oh, but I'd rather that you didn't tell anyone about this." Aigis nodded sternly without any questions.

**RANK 2!**

With that last concern out of the way, we talked quietly as we made our way back to the vacation home. "And the man is back!" Junpei called out. Mitsuru had a worried face on, and she took my hand when she stood up. "Sorry for running off like that…" I gave Mitsuru a kiss, and we both sat down on a couch, with Aigis standing behind us two.

I noticed that Yukari's eyes were glazed, probably from tears, but she seemed really happy. Everyone else was pretty happy, but their expressions were tinged with worry.

"Well, now that we've shown you this, what are you going to do?" Takeharu was back to being his serious old self this time. "If we cannot destroy the Shadows, then the city of Iwatodai is likely to be destroyed. Yet if we do, we are to lead the world to it's inevitable end." Inevitable end? Oh… Ikutsuki mentioned something like this right before I killed him, and Alice said something about the end too. So…

Well… "Maybe…" Everyone turned their attention to me. "There might be a way to stop this whole thing after we kill all the Shadows. If we can find a way…" Alice's words echoed in my mind. _It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up. _The Wild Card I have. The Joker. That thing that could just turn everything around. "No. There is a way. But… I don't know what way we can go about doing this."

Everyone stared at me expectantly. "Our Wild Cards." I turned to my imoto with a feral grin. There are two Jokers in a deck of cards. Minako mulled it over, and eventually came to some conclusion as she opened her previously closed eyes. "Maybe, just maybe… This has something to do with our Wild Card abilities. I mean, why are we the only two here who have it out of this whole group of Persona users? They must mean something and play a big role in stopping the Fall." I smiled at my imoto. That's Minako for you.

Hope returned to everyone's faces as Minako explained. "Maybe… We can stop this!" Yukari exclaimed. Everyone nodded, and smiles returned to their faces.

_22/07/09 Morning_

Hm. When I get back to Port Island, the present I've got to get her is going to blow through some of my Tartarus savings. This is the one reason why I love Tartarus. Somehow, by some force of nature, Shadows always carry a good amount of yen on them. It especially makes me happy when I run into one of those Gold Shadows. Not to mention that the drops that they had made for some good money down at the Velvet Room. I grinned.

"What is it, Minato?" Mitsuru looked up at me from where she was lying. Namely, on my side. "Oh, I'm just thinking about some things that I'm gonna get when we get back to Iwatodai."

"Like?" She trailed her finger down my cheekbone. "Like…" I blushed a little. "A ring?"

"You don't have to do that." She gave a knowing smile. "I'll do it because I want to. Not because I have to." I gave her a long kiss on the lips, and we broke apart only after Shinjiro called for us to get out from under the umbrella.

"If you really want to then…" She took my hand as we stood up. "I'll be expecting a good one." She said a little jokingly. "Of course. Anything for my ojou-sama." I grinned a feral one at her as Mitsuru joined everyone, which included Akihiko in the splash fight that Yukari was obviously winning. Sans Minako, who was coming from the forest. She gave me a small hug as she passed by, and went to join the others in the splash fight.

_Dark Hour_

Alice appeared in my room during the Dark Hour that night.

"Hello again." Alice greeted with a cheerful smile.

"Yo, Alice." I sat myself upright on my bed. "What's up?"

She fidgeted a little then seemingly shook her head out of her thoughts. "Ah well… I wanted to thank you for what you said last night." A blush painted its way across her face. I chuckled quietly. "It's ok Alice." I stood up and held her face carefully in my hand. "Give me your hand."

She, somewhat cautiously, held her gloved hand out. I placed the second white and blue flower in it. I stepped back and watched as the blush spread. "You are one of my best friends."

Water started glazing her eyes, and her blush spread, making her face as red as an apple. "Thank you, Minato…" She turned around, and vanished without leaving a trace.

I smiled to myself and flopped back down on to my bed.

_23/07/09 Morning_

Aww, vacation's over. I pondered the new Social Link that I had with Aigis, as Mitsuru napped next to me. It was refreshing to see her like her old self, when she was still a kid, and she wasn't actually serious. At all. I laughed inwardly as I looked over her face, which had a smile smothering it.

Well then… I have a lot of work with Aigis to do. We're all going to have some fun.

_24/07/09 Lunchtime_

I held my ebi-fry between the clutches of my mouth as I passed by the bulletin board. I back-tracked a little, as I remembered that exam listings were posted up.

I gazed at the top of the piece of paper.

_1. Arisato Minato_

_1. Kirijo Mitsuru_

_2. Mineru Kazuya_

_3. Kaguya Hiro_

_4. Sujou Tatsuya_

_5. Kimeru Naoki_

_6. Sanada Akihiko_

_7. Aragaki Shinjiro_

_8. Siruva Risa _

_9. Gettarou Sousuke_

_10. Setarou Souji_

Mitsuru and I tied for the exams again. Sweetness. Aki and Shinji did a great job too. I made a mental fist pump and I soon noticed the seniors staring at me. Especially the girls. I made a mad dash to the classroom to get away from the hungry beasts called fan girls.

_25/07/09 After School_

I met up with Mitsuru who was standing in front of the faculty office. "Here. I found these for you." She gave me a set of four cards, each adorned with the minor arcana, sword, wand, cup and coin. "For getting top marks with me." She gave me a peack on the cheek and she walked over to the student council room.

I joined up for the meeting and completed some paperwork with the rest of the council, and we had lots of fun. Even with the paperwork. Yeah.

_Dark Hour_

I was lying down on the bed, still awake. The milky green moonlight poured in. I then noticed that I hadn't been going out and taking my anger out on some hapless thugs for a while. I suppose that's a good thing. I rolled over onto my side to face my imoto's sleeping figure. I smiled. Are things looking up for me? It must be some twist of fate, yeah.

_02/08/09 Daytime_

"GUYS! FREAKING KILL THEM!"

I shouted out my encouragement, and it seemingly worked. The other members went for a huge burst in speed, and most of them passed the finishing line. Kaz tied with Mamoru, who I know I've had a race with before and he nearly beat me. The fruits of hard labour I say.

I congratulated the team, saying they all did their best, and to say the most, is that they did. I gave some cool congratulations to other team, saying that they also did really well too. I threw a thumbs up at Mamoru, who gave me a thumbs up in return.

Yes. Kaz and Mamoru tied. Hell yeah.

_06/08/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

With no-one to disturb us, we went to the location of the next big Shadow. Well, except for Takaya who I gave a friendly wave to. Not that anyone knew why.

"Uhh… hi there Takaya."

Takaya came with Chidori and Jin in tow. "Ah. Minato. I assume the next Shadow is here." The yellow eyed man turned towards me.

"Yeah…?" I gave him a questioning look.

"I see. We'll leave you to your devices then." He walked off, probably to go look for some helpless thugs. Like I did.

"What was that about?" Shinjiro grunted to me.

"Oh. They're friends of mine." I rubbed the back of my head.

"What? I sense power coming from them… They have Personae!?" Fuuka alerted us, and I flinched a little. "They don't want to get involved. That's all." I turned stern-faced to the darkness of the cavern that the next two Shadows were hiding. I noticed tank-like tracks engraved into the floor. This should be from the Shadows.

"Let's go." I beckoned my team of Aigis, Junpei and Yukari. They were getting plenty strong from our bouts in Tartarus, but Aigis still needed work, and the two kohai just needed a little push to get them up into the seventies. In power rank I mean. Aigis was approaching the sixties. Talk about solid progress.

And yet… I am getting this foreboding feeling, and it wasn't from Alice telling me where the Shadow was. I have this feeling that tonight's bout will be tougher than the others.

The tank-like Shadow appeared at the bottom of the tunnel, about 50 feet down. "Huh. Well, we've got it fairly cornered. Surround it as best you can." Junpei and Aigis went around the tank's sides, while Yukari stepped back behind me.

"Aigis, debuff it and buff us up! Junpei, throw all the types of physical attacks that you have on it!" I turned behind me. "Yukari, focus on your Garu spells." Everyone complied, and Aigis started with Marakukaja to store more power in our physical attacks. The orange light engulfed us, and I instantly felt its effects.

"Brave Blade!" A wing-spread charge connected, and a thin, but noticeable cut made its way across the surface of the tough armour. He's definitely improved. I gave him a thumbs up, and he replied with a grin as he noticed it.

Yukari let fly a mind shattering bullet next. "Garudyne!" Sharp gusts of wind travelled at breakneck speed to the Shadow, which I couldn't really tell the arcana to. The gale made gashes across the surface of the metal.

"Good job! Niflheim!" Icicles materialised and formed buckets of snow, ice and sleet which soon crashed down on the Shadow. It seemed that it's movements were quite crippled, but that victory was short lived as it split into two.

"What the!?" I growled at the move it pulled. The turret of the tank made up the Justice Arcana, and the rest of the tank formed the Chariot Arcana Shadow. An interesting idea crept into my mind. I rushed towards the Justice Arcana Shadow and tore open its hatch with my sword.

"What's he doing!?" Yukari called out.

"Whoa!" Junpei stared in awe.

"No! What are you doing!?" Aigis shouted next.

"I'm taking control!" I leapt into the hatch and to be sure, I found a set of controls. But the controls were definitely different to what I was expecting. Instead of levers and flashing buttons, I found masses of black which I assumed to be the Shadow covering the board. I grinned. The compartment started shaking, and I knew that the Justice Arcana was trying to shake me out to no avail. I smashed down my heel onto the board, and it stopped its jerking movements. Satisfied, I climbed out and slashed the turret off with Deus Xiphos.

I jumped off it, and called out for the rest to keep doing what they were doing before. Somewhat hesitantly, Yukari continued barraging blasts of wind on the already damaged Shadow and Aigis resumed support with a Matarukaja. Well, except for Junpei who started throwing Gigantic Fists on the Justice Shadow.

The Justice soon crumpled to the ground, and I thought that we could start focusing on the Chariot Arcana. A light pierced the dimness of the cavern, and I realised what it did. A Samarecarm.

The targeted Shadow sprung back to life, and it turned out that the damage that was dealt to it earlier was for naught. In fact on that turn, they combined.

I blinked once, and the tank started charging towards us. "Crap! If it continues this, it could break out!" I clenched my teeth together, and the analysis certainly got everyone's attention.

"What do we do!?" Yukari was obviously flustered, and I could see the same amount of fear that she had when we were on the monorail.

"I'll protect you!" Alice's voice echoed in my head.

I grinned, maniacally even. I looked down at my hands, and my left hand's glove fell off it. I charged towards the mass. It wasn't going to do any more damage.

I stopped in front of it, and smashed my hand into the thick armour for a grip. It stopped abruptly. I couldn't feel as much of the force since my hand was metal. The Shadow tried to continue charging. The force of the furiously spinning tracks shredded the sleeve of my blazer. I spun my sword around and stabbed it into the tank.

The tank separated again, and the Justice Arcana came loose, while the Chariot exploded into red and black mist. The turret pointed towards the ceiling, and it fired a shell through. I heard a rumble and the cavern caved in. It floated up into the hole, and I fell unconscious.

I slowly slid my eyes open, and I found myself looking at a mass of sleek white. Aigis.

I grunted a little to make her notice and she looked down at me. She had a smile, and she gently put me on the floor. I stood up, rubbing my forehead. I realised: we were at the entrance to the tunnel. Wait, what about the Justice Arcana?

I looked around, and everyone seemed happy to see me awake, but most of them sans Mitsuru were looking at me in disbelief. Shit. They saw.

"Guys… can we talk about this later?" They nodded slowly. "What happened to the Justice Arcana?" Then I found out next, that it wasn't the Dark Hour anymore.

My eyes widened. "We need to get out of here." Everyone, especially Aigis, Minako and Mitsuru were looking at me like I was crazy. "People could find us, and they'd be wondering what we're doing here." I said calmly. Mitsuru and Minako looked like they were about to argue with me, and in response, I knocked them all out with a Mamudoon. I snapped my left hand, and they disappeared, into the alley where I went to find the Velvet Room.

I chuckled to myself softly. "They'll be safe." I snapped my fingers again, and my shirt and blazer were replaced with a hoodie. I put it on and ran out as I heard the wailing of police cars.

I dashed out as police filled the stairs that led down into the old military base turned tunnel. I knocked them out as I jumped my way up. When I reached the entrance, I found police flanking it. I saw one of them, who was probably their superior, begin to say the old 'empty out your pockets and claim innocence type thing.'

I pulled my hoodie down, so that a shadow fell across my eyes. I grinned. I charged past the lot of them, and ran into an alley. Oh they thought that they had me cornered when I went into that dead end. But running like this, and dark alleys; they were things I did a lot in those three years. This won't faze me either.

I jumped up onto a pipe, and leapt to the rooftop of the brick building. The moon covered by clouds, and it started to pour down onto my jacket and drenched it, making it stick to my skin.

This was the kind of feeling I was missing. That thrill when you're running. Not running away or running or towards. Just running because you can, and running because people with batons are likely to beat you down if you do stop. Safe to say, it wasn't something I wanted to get close to.

I stopped jumping on the rooftops when I looked down from the edges, and I saw that they weren't chasing me anymore. They're now going after a culprit that doesn't exist. I thought as I snapped my fingers and wore my ripped blazer and shirt after taking my jacket off. I made my way to the antique shop in Paulownia Mall, and I found everyone waiting for me.

_07/08/09 After School_

"So yeah. During the incident ten years ago…" Yukari, Mitsuru, Aigis and Minako tensed visibly. "I lost my arm." I clutched my shoulder as I watched Akihiko, Shinjiro and the two kohai eye me. Whether it was a piteous or anger filled kind of curiosity, I couldn't tell. It was probably a mix of both.

"In a nutshell…" I skipped over the part where I actually fused the metallic arm in the Velvet Room with Orpheus and Thanatos. "I found a way to use Orpheus in my Weapon Fusion method, and I managed to bond it to my shoulder." I leaned back in the couch. "That's it."

Mitsuru and Aigis nodded, as they were finally able to find out how I got that arm. Mitsuru especially, since she was the one who first saw my arm. Back when I first joined up with Mitsuru to help climb Tartarus is when she asked. I made a small smile that no-one could see because of my head hanging over the couch. Minako was especially surprised, and had a mix of a grimace and relief on her face. She was grimacing because I didn't tell her about it and relieved because she saw that I finally found a way to get that arm back.

"Well, thank you for that. Now, next order of business is to find that runaway Shadow." The redhead glanced over to me. "We will have to find it tonight, because if it is allowed to roam free during the Dark Hour…" She had a dark look painted on her.

"Things and people could die, and the whole problem will go to shit." Shinjiro explained. Such eloquent wording. Could you feel the sarcasm dripping from my thoughts there? "We'll be able to cover the 'finding' part. The harder thing here will be to figure out a battle plan for this Shadow." I continued.

"Well, our target is likely to be outside this time, since it managed to escape…" Minako started. "What happens when you freeze blood?" Everyone turned to me, and Mitsuru in particular had a rather evil look on her. "The ice made with a Persona Skill is harder and takes longer to melt than normal ice." Minako remembered. "When blood is frozen, it becomes much, much harder than normal ice."

People still looked confused. Junpei in particular. "So if we used a Persona Skill to freeze the blood formed in the Dark Hour…" Akihiko understood at that point. "We could use it to hold the Shadow in place while we beat it down." I nodded, happy that someone else finally got the point. "What'll be the kicker here is, blood is full of iron."

Now people were very confused, except for Mitsuru since she's awesomely smart like that. "Iron conducts electricity." Only now you see? "I'm gonna bring Akihiko, Minako and Mitsuru for this one." I turned to the more recent members and Shinjiro. "It's not that I don't think you're strong enough." I turned to Junpei in particular. "It just means you're not really suited for the job. No offense." Everyone nodded, while Junpei breathed out a sigh of relief that felt like it had way to much hidden venom in it.

"Mitsuru, Minako and I can help freeze it with our Bufudynes."

Minako continued this time. "Akihiko, onii-chan and I can throw the Ziodynes down on it." She giggled. "Or Thunder Reign, but we should probably save those ones."

Thunder Reign uses a lot more SP since it has a guaranteed chance of Shock, and it hits all the Shadows. "Everyone knows what they're doing… So, you better get ready for tonight."

_Dark Hour_

"Minako. You ready?" She looked up from her sheath which kept her Thanatos-made naginata. "Yup." I grinned. "Aki's ready right?" He was looking up from his gloves which he was strapping, which were Thor-made. He nodded with a competitive grin. Guess that training obsession has still not worn off. Eh, they probably never will. "My oujo-sama is ready of course?" Mitsuru was busy strapping her leather sheath with her Alilat-made rapier. "Who do you take me for?" She said a little playfully. I grinned.

"Looks like everyone is ready to go." I turned to the remaining members. "Make sure to keep each other safe, 'kay?" Junpei adjusted his cap with a grin, and Shinji nodded sternly. Yukari and Fuuka made for a simple 'no problem' and 'I'll do my best' respectively. Aigis simply made an 'affirmative.' We ran from the dorm, and saw the turret floating overhead.

"Fuuka. Throw out a scan please." Fuuka complied and closed her eyes in concentration. After a few moments, she came back with her findings. "It-its… It's at Naganaki Shrine!"

I would have done a spit-take if I was drinking something. "Ok then guys. Let's go!" I knew that it was close to the dorm but… this is very dangerous. If it hit the dorm while… No.

We ran out of the dorm, and headed to Naganaki Shrine. At the foot of the stairs, we found Koromaru, the resident shiba-inu at the shrine, barking up at the sky. As if right on cue, a turret came crashing down. Koromaru let out a hollow howl, and a Persona materialised from the blue mist. "Looks like we have some help. Come on!" I glanced to Koromaru, and he gave me a determined look. He barked at me, and I could get a sense of what he was feeling: he wanted to protect the shrine at all costs. "Start with the freezing!"

Mitsuru and Minako used multiple Bufudynes and the red puddles on the floor rose up to trap the Justice Shadow. The red ice was definitely doing its job as there was no further movement from the Shadow. Akihiko, Minako and I began throwing bolts of lightning at the red ice and the Shadow, and it began to weaken from the barrage, but the ice was cracking from the sheer force from the Ziodynes. "Tch…"

A white blur streaked past, and I recognised it as the Persona that Koromaru somehow managed to summon earlier. It performed an Agidyne, and a burst of broiling flame surrounded the Shadow, which was obviously trying to get away from the mass of red ice shards which dispersed. Unfortunately for the Justice Shadow it was hit, fairly from the back. It rose up into the air again, probably after realising that staying on ground level with us was a bad idea.

A light was coming from the Justice Arcane's turret, and I realised where it was aiming towards. But, me not being fast enough to stop the shell from firing… "Thanatos!" I shouted out. I mounted the death god's coffin lids, and we flew into the air. I hopped off, and punched the shell that was going towards the dorm off course, which soon exploded from the sheer force of my blow. Thanatos caught me again in a black streak.

Personae from the ground were firing off several Bufudynes, Ziodynes, Agidynes and Garudynes. They soon all combined into one mass of SP generated magic, and hit the unsuspecting Justice Shadow. For the last blow, I punched the Justice Shadow into the ground, making a mini crater. I arched back down, and I drove my heel into the thick armour. A resounding crack from the blow echoed, and the turret shattered into black and red mist.

The team came running over to me, and started to dust off my pants. "Onii-chan! Are you ok?" Minako pulled me into a hug. But it wasn't one of the fly-in ones. This one was serious, and it had been a long time since I felt one of those hugs. I rubbed her back. "I'm fine… But what are we going to do about the crater?" Oh right. "Kronos!" The titan created an energy field around the crater, and the pavement returned to normal. "How was that?" Minako smiled in approval. Mitsuru and Akihiko came striding next, and they were being followed by the white shiba-inu guardian of the Naganaki Shrine, Koromaru.

We went back towards the dorm, and everyone was definitely excited to see us.

_10/08/09 Late Night_

Now would be a great time to try and get that ring… Since every one of the kohais are going to summer school. Sucks for them. I chuckled to myself as I put on a white t-shirt with blue sleeves. I put on my bag, and headed out. So… Where could I find a ring? Well, I could probably make one myself the same way I make accessories I mused to myself. I'll probably do that… But I want the perfect gem on it. The perfect woman deserves the perfect ring, I thought, as I smiled. Maybe I can try my luck in Tartarus.

"I'll do that." I took my motorcycle and breezed through the streets, coming over to Gekkoukan. "In fact… If I want to get the best… I should try going to that block. I can survive, but I better be careful. Monad is not a block I would like to take lightly. Definitely not.

_Dark Hour_

I reached the entrance of the grotesque toothpaste tower, and took to the large grey doors that stood to the right of the staircase that led up to the peak of the tower. To the Monad Block.

_15/08/09 Late Night_

Ok. That took way too long to get to the bottom of the Monad Block. Only to find Elizabeth waiting for me. Oh god. Somehow I survived. I don't know how. And… There was no gem down there after all. I guess I'll just have to look someplace else. I could use one of the gemstones that we have in our store. But that wouldn't be the best… What am I going to do?

I mulled all this over as I sat at the counter. I went to the forge and looked around. Who am I kidding? But, I noticed something at the anvil that I didn't see before. I simply didn't notice it in fact. At the bottom of the anvil there was a smeared little opening that was covered by a blackened door. I opened it, and to my surprise, I found a velvet blue box, and a piece of paper.

I opened the box and found…This… I cupped it against my chest. I unfolded the note, and I found it was okaa-san's writing.

_Dear Minato,_

_If you've found this, it means that I'm probably long gone now. But like always, I want you to stay strong and look after your sister. You only have each other and your friends now. I definitely wouldn't want you two to lose any more than you already have._

_That Mitsuru girl you're so sweet on… If I know where this is going like I always do, you're going to need something special. Take what's inside the box. It used to be mine, but since he passed away I don't have much use for it now._

_Take care of yourself, Minato… I'll miss you. Thank you for being there before. You were always a bundle of joy._

_Love,_

_ Okaa-san_

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I made no effort to hold them back. I held the note close to my heart, and I took okaa-san's ring from the box. It was a silvery-gold, and embedded in it was a trio of gems including a ruby, a diamond and a sapphire. I fingered it in my hands for a while.

As if by some twist of fate, Mitsuru was standing outside the door and was ringing the doorbell. I smiled and pocketed the ring inside the box.

"Hey Mitsuru…"

"Hello Minato." She gave me a radiant smile and I led her to the table.

"What is it?" I asked the red-head.

"I just… wanted to see you." She blushed. "Mitsuru…" I stood up and bent down to her side. I gathered up my courage, and even pushed Alilat to the forefront of my mind to try and calm myself down. I held out the velvet box in my hand and opened it. Mitsuru's eyes widened, and were becoming glazed with tears. "Will you marry me?" I grinned finally, as I popped the question.

"Yes!" She held her hands around my head, and I couldn't help but smile in relief. "Thank you Minato." Oh that same smile is going to be plastered on her face for the rest of the night, I swear. "Wanna go?"

"Oh definitely…" She pulled me into a kiss.

We left the store and went to Chagall Café for a while.

* * *

AN: There's no way out of the romance part here, since it's attributing to Minato's character development. (And it's just some fun fluff for me.) Same as before, review and no flames.

This time... Also, I need to think of some events so as not to make the story so boring. I'll consider a few. It's mostly for the overload Social Links. So Akihiko, Yukari, Shinji and some others.


	5. Thou art I, and I am Thou

_17/08/09 Morning_

While I was drying my hair with my towel, I got some calls from my friends. A lot of them. From Bebe, Kaz, Rio, Saori and even Miss Toriumi. Now that was surprising. They invited me to go with them to the film festival that's being held. Awesome.

_Screenshot_

Hm. Since when did they have an all-genre run through? "Ohayo!" I heard the distinct French accent. It was Bebe. "Hey there, Bebe." He was casually fanning himself like usual, like always. "It's good to see you Minato-sama!" If this was an anime, I would be sweat dropping. "Bebe, you don't have to call me that…" I rubbed the back of my head. "But I must, since you were my first tomodachi!"

"If you really want to." I sighed a little.

"Yo man!" It was Kaz. "Hey there." I replied back. "Good to see ya." I briefly wondered whether there were even going to be sport related movies at that moment. "Hello Minato-senpai!" Rio called out next. "How are you Rio?" She wiped off a bit of sweat from her forehead. "I've been good. Been keeping up with sport."

"I see you have been." I grinned.

"Ah, hello…" Saori had a soft smile on. "Hey, it's nice to see you Saori." You know, now that I think about it… I never really figured out what she liked. She wasn't really the open type but… Ah. There'll be something in there that she'll like, I'm sure. "Heelloooo Minatooo!" And then, the surprise came too. "Ah, Toriumi-sensei. You've been ok?" She had a bright smile on that I never saw on her last year. Wonder if it's because of that Maya and Tatsuya incident… "Yup. Now kiddies, let's go and watch some movies!" Everyone except for Bebe looked at her a bit sceptically, but smiled afterwards. Bebe… well, he's always smiling.

First up was a drama, and it's safe to say that Bebe and Saori were absolutely enthralled by the whole thing. The emotions were portrayed well, but that was why Bebe almost started crying like Lee and Gai from Naruto. At least Saori managed to control her emotions.

Next was a sports movie, which was filled with determination and drama, surprisingly. Needless to say, Kaz and Rio liked it, but probably would have been a lot more excited if it wasn't about football. Or soccer. Eh… whichever one. I never really understood the difference.

After that, Toriumi-sensei was very excited by the fantasy adventure movie, which I enjoyed too. A good adventure is always nice. Though, I couldn't tell whether my former sensei liked it for the adventure aspect and suspense rather than the cool looking characters. Either is a viable option.

Last was 'Journey Into Tartarus.' During that movie, the tugging I felt around my heart could have made me have a heart attack, I swear. Not only because it was sad and romantic, but for the simple reason that I could relate. Orpheus and Eurydice. I'm Orpheus, and Minako is Eurydice. I shook my head out of those thoughts. My shoulders were shuddering slightly as I thought about how similar this story was to the fact that I was climbing a tower called Tartarus. Even if it isn't the real thing, certainly feels like it.

We left, and discussed the movies at the Iwatodai strip mall at the sweet shop much to Toriumi-sensei and Bebe's insistence.

"So how'd you all like the first movie?" Rio asked me. "Oh, it was simply heart-wrenching, and the characters portrayed the emotion so well…" Bebe complimented. Saori giggled. "Same was Bebe-san, but I liked it more because I felt I could relate to the friendships between the characters." And if I can bet anything, they're both thinking about me.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks...**

**The powers of the Temperance Arcana bestow upon you the strength of **

**Icingdeath.**

That is not a sword I would be expecting of that Arcana… Huh. I felt the Hermit Arcana rise in power, but since Saori is only half of the link, it didn't fully overload it.

"I dunno. Dramas probably… just aren't as much of my thing as that awesome sports movie." 'Blind Side.' I had to agree with that one, though Kaz was contradicting himself since drama was as much a part of the movie as the sports aspect was too… "That determination! The sweat!" I would have sweat dropped right then, but this isn't an anime. Shattering glass in my mind sounded again, and to be sure, Rio and Kaz were looking at me intently. Very.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Chariot Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Rhindon.**

Yay. Pop culture reference for the win. Bebe and Saori also seemed to be impressed by the movie, even though there was that sports aspect in it. Even Miss Toriumi liked it. Now that's an accomplishment.

"Well, my favourites out of all of them would have to be out of the fantasy one or the romance one." My former teacher's eyes started sparkling. If I didn't know her any better, I'd say she was comparing me to the main character of the fantasy one. I had an urge to slap my head at that moment.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Hermit Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Dark Sword.**

That sword could be anything. And that sounds very foreboding. "Well then… My favourite was the last one." Everyone turned to me with sceptic looks. "What?" Everyone laughed and started comparing each of the movies again until the evening. And lots of cake was eaten that day.

_19/08/09 Morning_

While I sensed that Ken was indeed a Persona user, he didn't seem to want to get involved too much. Well, it was either put your life at risk for the future of the world, or enjoying what you have left. But he doesn't know that. I guess he just doesn't have a motive to join up with SEES. In fact, I'd rather not put the guy in danger.

So when I saw him and Maiko at Naganaki Shrine, I decided that I would take them to the movies if they were interested. Which they were. I even decided to take Minako along. Just cause, why not.

_Screenshot_

Yes! Another multi-genre one! First was an action filled one, with superheroes. Which Ken would surely love as much as he would want to deny it. Heaven forbid he would stop liking these kinds of movies. So, you know how usually, teens kinda hate kids' movies? Well, on the contrary. I kinda like them.

Maiko was enjoying herself in this movie. This one was 'Astroboy,' but I was surprised when I saw her enjoying this one. Especially this one, since this seemed to be more of a Ken thing. Needless to say, Minako was very happy to see that tomboyish girls like her were getting some love.

Next was 'Howl's Moving Castle.' Oh how I love that movie. The rest of them loved this one too. A mix of fantasy, drama and romance. It was a nice one by Studio Ghibli. Last was 'Ponyo.' Needless to say, it was another great one by Studio Ghibli, and it was way too damn cute.

We went back to just outside the station and hung out, discussing the movies at the takoyaki stand, Octopia. "So, how did you guys like the movies?" Minako asked. "Oh well…" Ken squirmed a little in his seat. Probably trying to debate whether come out with the truth or trying to act more like an adult. Which actually makes him look more like a kid, funnily enough. "I thought it was really cool. The way the heroes moved, and the powers that they all had to use to beat up the bad guy, was way too awesome." Looks he came out with the full truth this time. "And…" He grinned and I felt a surge of power in the Justice Arcana.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Justice Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Doomgiver.**

That doesn't sound like a Justice oriented thing… Ah well. I'll find out about it later. When I try to make them. Maiko giggled at his outburst in description, and I probably would have been laughing too, if I wasn't so distracted by the shattering of glass in my head. Minako laughed for me instead. And I gave a smile in return.

"Ooh, I really liked 'Astroboy'!" Ken looked at Maiko with a sceptic look, which was about the same as the ones I was given two days ago by my friends. "He was so cute, and he was really strong, and…" She continued on about the good qualities about Astroboy, until she finally ended with, "Though… Even after all that, I think Minato-nii is cooler." That was ended off suspiciously like how Minako compliments something. She goes on about pretty much all the good stuff, and ends it with, 'but nothing is cooler that onii-chan' or something along those lines. Power welled up in me from the Hanged-man Arcana.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Hanged-man Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Weaveshear.**

No comment on the name. We continued the discussing the Studio Ghibli movies that were shown, and we all agreed that Studio Ghibli was one of the greatest anime producers ever.

_22/08/09 Evening_

Today, I went to the dorm to meet our new member. Koromaru. "You ok with this boy?" I said to him as I bent down. He let out a happy bark that translated as something along the lines of 'sure it's fine! I get to spend time with friends' and he wagged his tail vigorously afterwards. His Evoker was a lot different to ours, as it was designed as a collar with angel… wings… Erm… Yeah. I won't question it. "Welp, hi-paw dude." I held out my hand in front and he slapped his paw onto it. "Great job, Koro-chan." He let out another happy yip. I stood up and gave a V-sign, and I left the dorm.

_24/08/09 Morning_

This was the second week of the film festival and they were doing another multi-genre run. To which Yukari, Akihiko and Shinjiro of all people invited me to.

_Screenshot_

I waited in front of the theatre, and when we were all together we exchanged our greetings and we entered.

First was a romance, drama and comedy kind of movie. One which Yukari and Shinjiro enjoyed. Oh Shinji… Sometimes your likes and dislikes are really weird. It was like that time at the film festival last year, and the films they were showing were kids' movies. It was very strange, and he actually enjoyed the things. It's like how a teenager loves 'Happy Tree Friends' and 'My Little Pony.' Not that I mind either of them. Now that I think about it, 'Happy Tree Friends' is really violent… Aki wasn't all too happy about the first one, but he didn't hate it at least.

Second up was an action movie, which Akihiko was enjoying way too much. Shinji didn't care particularly, but Yukari was a bit put off. This isn't really her kind of movie huh? I dunno. I don't particularly mind action movies, as long as the plot is actually good.

Third… That would be the anime movie for 'Cowboy Bebop.' It was scarily good, and the emotions and thoughts of the characters were done well. Even Yukari liked this one.

Last was an adventure sci-fi movie. It was Star Trek, awww yeah…! Though… I seemed to be the only enjoying it, mainly because I'm one of the geeky ones in SEES. Eh. Wasn't hated.

This time, we discussed the movies Strip Mall at Wakatsu. "So, how was it?" Yukari asked first. Akihiko and Shinjiro gestured for her to go first. "Ah well, I really liked the first one and the third one. I loved the drama in both, and the emotions were done really well. And they were both funny." I felt her glance at me intently, and I thought I saw a flash of a blush painted on her cheeks… How fast are these all overloading? And yeah I'm calling them 'overloaded' Social Links if you haven't noted already.

**Thou art I… and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Lovers Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Amoracchius.**

"Well… I liked them all, but I liked the first and third one more like Yukari." Shinji half-grunted his sentence. What is it with everyone staring at me?

**Thou art I… and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Hierophant Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Subtle Knife.**

A knife? Hm. Akihiko was pumped up, and he talk about how awesome the power the characters showed off in the second and third movie. "If I could be that strong…" He stole a glance at me. Why are they all looking at me!? "Then I'd have nothing to worry about."

**Thou art I… and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Emperor Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Lightning.**

"I liked all of them a lot, but I liked the third and last the most." I said with a V-sign and a grin.

_04/09/09 Evening_

I heard there was a gig going on at Escapade, so I decided to check it out. And to be sure, there it was. It turned out that Risette's normal guitar player was a no-show, and they were holding auditions to take the place of the player. I was looking around the bar nonchalantly, and I noticed someone who looked very, very familiar. I couldn't put my finger on it but I had this urge to play this popular song at this bar I passed by while I was on my trip. I assumed it was an American bar, so I was kinda surprised when I saw it. Perhaps they just made another establishment in Japan too.

I got myself up onto the stage and started it. It didn't have any words, and it was supposed to played on the piano, but you make do with what you have. The man I saw sitting at the bar seemed to prick up at the sound of the now picking up strings, and he had a nostalgic smile on his face. 'Stray Sheep' was the name of the song. "Ooh, that was reeaally good." I saw a pink haired girl with pig tails, and I knew who it was. Risette, and… why does she look kinda like Alice?

"Ah well… Thanks." I rubbed the back of my hand sheepishly. "What's your name?" The energetic pop-star asked. "I'm Arisato Minato."

"Cool! I'm Kujikawa Rise!" As she said this, I felt a surge in the Lovers Arcana. So… that's her arcana… But I already have a Lovers Social Link. I guess I could somehow bond with her if she stayed long enough, which I doubt. "…Nice to meet you Rise-san." I put the guitar down on the stand, and walked off the stage. "And just so you know, you have my recommendation!" She winked and I gave an embarrassed smile back.

"Hey, kid." The man sitting at the bar called over to him. I took a good look at him, and he had a sorta messy afro, and he had pale skin and blue eyes. Then I remembered. "Have I seen you before?" I asked to be sure. "Think I have, kid." He swirled the contents of his cocktail around. "Wait. Is your name Vincent?" The man's eyes widened. "Oh geez, it's you!"

"Heya."

"It's… It's Minato, right?" He looked at me expectantly. "Yup. It's nice to see ya again. So how did that tower climbing go?" I looked at him with a grin. "Oh that Tartarus thing… Well, I reached the top, and then some."

"Great job!" Vincent looked at me with a small smile. "How's it going on your end?"

"Ah, well I've reached the top, but nothing's happened yet." Except for finding out that the end of the world was coming. "Hm. I think something'll happen soon then, kid." We talked until it was pretty late, and I went back to the antique shop.

_05/09/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

I ended up getting the spot for the guitar player, but the sound systems were busted and I could hazard a guess that the next Shadow had something to do with it. It is a full moon, and yesterday everything was in pristine condition. When I beat this Shadow, I'm so taking everyone to Escapade.

And to my surprise, the entrance to the Shadow's lair was through Escapade. Somehow. I indicated that to everyone and we headed in.

We ended up in the basement, and holy crap that's a lot of cables. In the centre was the Hermit Arcane, seemingly sucking up electricity from the wires. It was dog-like in appearance and hunched over kinda like a werewolf. On it's back were energy nodes, and some kind of wiry hair coming off it. And if anyone hasn't guessed yet, it was an electricity wielding Shadow.

With that, I brought Thor to the forefront of my mind. With all the training on Tartarus I had been doing, Yukari, Junpei and Aigis were finally up to about the same level as all the seniors, and only Koromaru needed a bit more. "Koro-chan! Shinji! Mitsuru!" They all snapped to attention and followed me to the fight.

When I saw it, I thought this was going to be an easy fight since the Hermit looked quite stationary, but was I wrong? Yeah, I was wrong. After eating up all those bolts of electricity, it jumped up and charged towards Koromaru with the speed advantage on it's side. The shiba-inu managed to jump out of the way in time, but he did get off a bit grazed. I'm not really sure now how Thor would be helping… He's way too slow. "Odin! Vile Assault!" The Norse Cyclops charged it's way into the Shadow for a large amount of Pierce damage. The Shadow managed to dodge as it bounced off the wall, and released a surge of electricity. Silly Shadow. Electricity increases my power now.

Shinji summoned Castor, and it released a move which I once thought was only used by the Reaper. "Magnadyne!" Rocks rose from the ground, and were thrown against the unsuspecting Shadow, which was drained form it's release of bolts. It crumpled to the ground, and Mitsuru used a Mind-Charged Bufudyne on it. It still wasn't down yet though.

The Hermit reared up onto it's back legs and gathered what I sensed to be Nuclear energy between its palms. Urgh… I equipped Thanatos to reduce the damage if I got hit, and I summoned him into existence and hopped onto his back. "Die For Me!" Bloody weapons and curses fell upon the Shadow, leaving it cut, bruised and spilling ichor. "Samsara!" Talismans flew next, into the Hermit like shuriken and slashed into it.

Even then, it still managed to charge up that attack. A Freildyne was fired in a beam at Mitsuru, who managed to jump out of the way of the beam, but the beam kept on moving as the Shadow aimed. It was almost like a Kamehameha… Eventually, the Shadow relented and Koromaru released broiling flame into it. Cerberus blew from its mouth the brilliant blue flames, and burnt the Shadow to a crisp.

As we relented, the Shadow hopped up again, even after all those attacks, and came forth with a super charged Thunder Reign that hit everybody, and as a result, Shocked everyone. The Hermit pounced on all of us, and I could barely keep my consciousness as my mind became muddled. As if with a terrifying grin, the Hermit leapt towards me and smashed it's fists into my ribs. Blood was coughed out, and my ribs were broken. And no-one was well enough to heal me. "Urgh... I'm not dying here!" Besides, I've been through worse.

Thankfully, after that hit, my mind came into focus and I was able to heal myself with a Diarahan from Alilat. It jumped back and released a Gigaspark, which I got information about courtesy of Alice, which hit the rest of the team, hard. Thankfully none of them were unconscious, and while the Shadow was charging towards me again, Shinji bashed it from behind with his axe. With that, the Hermit finally collapsed and burst into a flurry of red and black. "Mediarahan…" Alilat released a healing aura and we all returned to perfect health.

"Soo… anybody wanna stay for the Risette gig that's happening upstairs?"

_Late Night_

Turns out people did want to stay for the show. People just didn't know that I was the guitarist. "Hey Rise." The spunky pop-star turned around. "Oh hey! Looks like the problem was fixed. And in such a short amount of time…" Courtesy of dead Hermit. "Looks like we were just lucky this time. So, are we still doing this?" I suggested. She gave me a V-sign, much like Alice's. Maybe they're related! "Sure we are! You practised the songs right?" I gave her a thumbs up and I followed her to the stage where the rest of the people were waiting. I waved to the rest of SEES who were surprised that I was up there, and Junpei was obviously questioning why 'the heck I was up there.' It was satisfying seeing the freaked out faces that my friends had.

First song was 'Reaching for the Truth,' And it was a nice poppy song. An actually nice pop-style song, who would've known? Ok, I'm joking, but people listen to so much crap music nowadays, which is usually characterised by pop, that it makes me sick.

'I'll Face Myself' and 'Sky's the Limit' were among some other songs that I really liked. In fact, I liked all of them, and I was ripping out on the guitar like no tomorrow. Well, technically it was tomorrow, but who cares. After we finished the secret gig, people were calling out for an encore. From me. Me being me, I obliged. One song.

_On the weekend…_

_You find your way and lose it again…_

_You know, now I've told you…_

_That your head is much more bent._

_With her voice she said,_

_I'd die for you any day…_

_My life's over anyway…_

_Let's go the empty park, and talk 'til it's really dark…_

_In the daytime, we'll think about the sun 'til it sets…_

_Ooh…_

_You notice a difference, in the way we comprehend…_

_With her voice she said,_

_I'd die for you any day…_

_My life's over anyway…_

_I'll take you to the park! I'll take you to the ocean! I'll kiss you 'til it's dark! Go through all the motions!_

_I'll take you to the park! I'll take you to the ocean! I'll kiss you 'til it's dark! Go through all the motions!_

_Do you really want it? X9_

After putting the guitar down and joining my friends in the crowd, we talked a little about how awesome I was with music which earned me some coolness and jealousy points from Junpei, and some more admiration from Yukari. My imoto and engaged were proud of me, and so were Akihiko, Shinjiro and Koromaru. Aigis was the only person I had to explain the situation to, since she was wholly unknowing of the event. To which she called me out be awesome afterwards.

_18/09/09 Morning_

Today wasn't so much of a learning day as much as it was to inform us about the freaking culture festival. To which I did many mental fist pumps. It turned out that we were doing a play/comedy show, since we all saw how that went when I was doing some jokes with Kenji. Plenty of fun. And we will persuade the girls to wear maid dresses to a8ttract customers. Yes. We also have to work out the drinks and food, the seating, the lighting, the actors which are very important, and a few other things like props and scripts.

Kenji and I volunteered to be part of the cast. Then I noted to myself that I had to declare my marriage with Mitsuru. That'll teach those fan girls. If that doesn't work, well… I'll kill them. Simple solution. In fact, Mitsuru volunteered to be a part of the play which was a surprise.

After discussions about Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, we finally settled on the story about Orpheus and Eurydice. They decided to make me Orpheus, Mitsuru Eurydice, Kenji Hermes, and they were still fighting about whether Shinji or Aki should be Hades. Eventually they decided Aki should be Hades since Shinji backed out firmly when mentioning who would get the major roles. Bet he's just shy, I thought and I chuckled to myself.

There is one big difference in the play to the original story though. Well, you'll just have to see what the difference is when we perform, huh? Oh right. Shinji did volunteer Koromaru to be Cerberus, and Shinji would be his voice, though I don't know how that's going to go.

Not to mention that after I went to check out some Compendium stuff in the Velvet Room, Eli, Margret and Theo were planning on coming to the festival too as part of their long service release kinda thing. I wonder where they're going to be at the festival.

Hell, even Igor and Philemon wanted to come as well, but the blue-clothed assistants denied Igor from coming, while Philemon started acting like a little kid at a candy store. But eventually he relented saying that Igor could get lonely in the Velvet Room all alone. I still think that Philemon was just joking the whole time.

Somehow, and eventually, I got Mitsuru to agree that showing off our engagement was a good idea. With props from Takeharu. Now that… that was surprising. Something tells me that the serious façade is very, very fake. Revelations!

We practised it for the next three days and then… Culture Festival.

_22/09/09 Morning_

On top of the practising that I was doing, I was also responsible for helping Bebe with making the costumes. By the way, did I mention that the play was going to be done in a contemporary style since Kenji and a few others didn't want to deal with the 'thou art I' and whatever. Which I had actually grown attached to over the many times the voice in my head called out to signal a Rank Up, Establishing of new links and now the Ultimate Weapons. Ah well. In truth I didn't mind that much.

Me? I was wearing a white long-sleeve top which looked kinda like part of a school uniform since it would be weird to reveal my metal arm in front of a lot of people. On top I wore a navy blue vest, and a red scarf. The scarf was mostly my insistence and the fact that it looked cool with the rest of the costume. Not to mention my Persona Orpheus wore something like it. I wore jeans and brown leather boots to finish it off. I wonder what Orpheus actually looked like before that incident with the ripping everything off him part? And evidently, turning to metal. That too. Also, carrying harp. Very important. Everyone was wondering where I got it though, and the only one who knew was Minako.

Mitsuru was dressed in a black crop top, oh god… trying to block… nosebleed… Erhem. And a white jacket on top. Furthermore, she was wearing a pair of denim shorts, and leather strapped sandals. After taking a good look at her, her colour coding was kinda like the ring I gave her. Okaa-san's ring. Also to note, she was borrowing my MP3 and earphones for the play. The MP3 player was silver, and the earphones were silver rimmed and red in the middle. Overall, she looked incredibly cute.

Kenji was dressed with a black cap with a white yatagarasu-like symbol sewn into it, representing wings. He wore a white shirt that kinda reminded me of a pirate's wear and some jeans with a leather beltbag. His shoes were black hi-cut chucks with some wings painted onto them. He looked pretty awesome, and I think Junpei would be proud. Especially with the cap.

Akihiko, who was Hades was mainly dressed in greys and blacks with a black jacket that was torn in some places on top of a light grey shirt. His mid-grey shaded jeans were also torn in a few places, especially the knee, and to end the look, he had black low-cut chucks. He looked pretty badass, and I could guess the idea for Hades was based off a sort of gangster look where he had been in a fight. This made sense since he was driven out of Olympus by his brothers, who I would say are complete and total pricks. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I would never fuse a Zeus or a Poseidon.

Ok so, using Koromaru as Cerberus as a joke, but Shinji said that he can voice Cerberus for us. So we used a prop instead with someone inside to move the head's mouth. Ok so that was Shinjiro too.

"Are you ready, Minato?" Mitsuru came in. "I'm fine. Are you ok?" Mitsuru nodded and stayed with me until the show was announced. We ended up letting some of the cuter seniors in the year get dressed in the maid outfits, and they were serving food and drinks to the customers.

And so, the lights hit the stage. "Koromaru! Wait!" The shiba-inu sped across the stage. He lets out some barks. Part of the script. Kenji ran onto the stage, sans the cap, and instead wearing a black vest. "Uhhh…" Crickets chirped, and the audience fell quiet. "Hi folks, sorry about that!" He turned to the wings and shouted out angrily, "I'll get you for that Koromaru!" People snickered a bit. "Welcome to our slightly comedic," emphasis on comedic and slightly. "…rendition of the love story between Orpheus and Eurydice!"

Everyone applauded, quite a lot louder than I would've thought. "So ladies and gentlemen, make yourselves comfortable and feel free to order any food and drinks you want from our lovely maids and don't ever worry about getting your items lost as the security at the back will make sure everything. Will. Be. Fine. Alright?" People laughed a bit at that, probably wondering who that heck would try stealing something of theirs in a place like this. Shinji ran to the back and slipped to the back taking someone's wallet and… cue the security team. "Oh my esteemed audience, a ninja has appeared!"

Kenji gestured to the back, and Shinji acted like he was Solid Snake from the game, and a magic exclamation mark formed over his head. Not to mention, the spotlight moved over there. "Hey! Give me back my wallet!" The victim at the back called out. One of the jocks at the back made a pretend punch at Shinji, and like in the script, he fell over and the jock that 'punched' him from before dragged him to a back door. And they returned the wallet after that too.

"Well, now that's out of the way, let the show begin!" Everyone applauded once more.

The curtains fell, and I ran to the chair that was put in the middle, and gave a grin and a soft hi-five to my wingman. Literally. The curtains opened again. I started to play on my harp, a melody called 'Songbird,' which was a fitting song for Orpheus being the 'songbird' that he is. I eventually fell into a complete stupor with my music, until… Well I snapped to attention again. "Whoa… Who are all these guys?" Kenji whispered from the back, "Don't break the fourth wall!"

"Oh right. But I still have to do my introductions…" Kenji sighed and the audience laughed once more. "Alright. My name's Orpheus. Just Orpheus, and I like playing music…Is that ok?"

Kenji groaned again, and I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. People laughed a little more. "Hey come on… Don't ignore me."

"Just… Just get back to playing!" I acted offended and people were definitely roused by that one.

"Ok… So… You know, being an awesome minstrel and all, and being cool in general, girls really, really like me. A lot. Like… fan girl like me." I heard giggles in the background. And on cue, a group of senior girls ran after me to the wings, and I started banging on some drums and cymbals while I was there, so that it sounded like I was trying to get away from them. I came back onto the stage, looking a bit tired. "See what I mean?"

People guffawed at my misfortune. I sat back on the chair, and one cue, Mitsuru entered from the audience's right wing. People were gasping at her appearance, in both senses of the word that I can think of. I looked at her and forced a blush to paint across my face. "A-ah…." I faked a faint and collided with the ground. Mitsuru rubbed the bridge of her nose, and pulled me up after a few seconds. The audience laughed at that one.

"Oh… My eyes were not deceiving me, I see." I cleared my throat. Mitsuru 'hmphed' and walked past. I grabbed her hand, and said, "My name is Orpheus." And she lightly slapped me on the cheek. My face turned away from the audience, and I rubbed my lightly slapped cheek. "I think… I think…" I gulped. "I think I'm in love…" People were laughing at that one, because it was a well-known fact that Mitsuru and I were an item and seeing me getting rejected was surprising to say the least. I slumped back on my lyre back chair, and started playing another song. 'Bluebird' from the anime Bakuman was what I played.

Mitsuru came walking backwards from the wing that she left and turned around towards me. "Hmm… Your playing is beautiful." I smiled. "You flatter me. It's still not as beautiful as you…"

"Eurydice…"Mitsuru made a blush, and said, "Well, it's not like I like it that much. Baka minstrel…" Tsundere alert. People were laughing their asses of for this joke, since Mitsuru is indeed not a tsundere, and seeing her act like this was the funniest and cutest thing ever. "Well… I've decided."

I kissed her on the lips and she fell into my arms. People were gasping and laughing at this one, but what they couldn't see was that Mitsuru was smiling with the biggest grin ever. She struggled out of my arms and brushed herself off. I bent down onto my knee, and opened the velvet box from before, containing okaa-san's ring. "Wilst thou take thee in our nuptial hour?" I cleared my throat. "Sorry, force of habit. Will you marry me?" Mitsuru fingered the ring in her hand for a while and bent down and took me in a hug. "Yes!"

It was like seeing Mitsuru hug me after getting the ring the first time. "Well then…" I took her by the hand, and stood up. "Eurydice, let's go!" With that, we ran off the stage, and the curtains fell. The audience started clapping non-stop after that, and it was only the first act. I chuckled. "So, how was it, Eurydice-chan?" I asked a slightly red Mitsuru. "Ah, well… I feel like I did well. You were obviously comfortable…" She muttered. "Haha. Well, we're going to have some more fun after the break then, huh?"

She nodded and we went to check out Minako's classroom, and… holy crap that's a lot of cake. Damn right she did a sweet stall. If there is anything she's good at making, it is definitely sweet stuff. She waved to me and winked. It's all because I'm with Mitsuru, isn't it?

I sighed inwardly, and waved back at her. The first years… I won't say anything so as to not damage their dignity. "Is that a speed dating café?" Ok never mind, Mitsuru said it. And that is why we are going to move along, and hey. Isn't that velvet blue tent very suspicious looking? "Please, do come in." Yup. It was Elizabeth's voice, if not muffled by the cloth that she was probably wearing around her mouth.

"Do you mind if…" I pointed to the small tent. Mitsuru nodded, a little confused as to why I would be interested. Though, maybe not that confused after all the times I told her that the Arcana that a Shadow is given can help to determine what it will do. For example, the Chariot and Strength Shadows normally have a high amount of stamina and a lot of physical attacks as per their Arcana.

I lifted the cloth of the tent around my head, and Mitsuru came in afterwards. Yup, her eyes are yellow. And her hair is straight, so it must be Eli-chan. "Yo." Eli-chan giggled. "Hello, would you like your fortune told?" I passed her some yen, and she took it with grace. Not that she needs this dough. "Alright…" She took her tarot deck, and shuffled it. "Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different. Life follows those same principles, does it not?" Sounds like something she would say.

"The Wheel of Fortune in the upright position. This represents the immediate future. It seems that something or… someone…" Alice giggled a bit. "It is going to change with drastic measures. You better be careful how you handle this situation." She flipped over the next card in the circle she arranged. "The Tower, in the upright position. It seems a terrible catastrophe is at hand. Be sure to get back up onto your feet as soon as you can. "Lastly… the World, in the upright position. This card represents the end of a journey, and the start of a new one."

Elizabeth gave me an eye smile, and I turned to Mitsuru. "May I?" I stood up and whispered into her ear after she sat down. "She's no joke this one…" Mitsuru acknowledged it, and turned towards Eli-chan. "Would you like your fortune told as well?" Mitsuru took it as a sign to give her some yen. Like she needs any more. "Hm hm." She shuffled her deck of cards once more, and placed the cards in a circle, like before.

"Let's see… Ah." She flipped the first card over. "Hm. The Lovers Arcana in the reverse position. When upright, the card represents freedom of choice. In reverse, it is the making of a forced decision." She flipped the next card over. "The World in the upright position. Like before, this is the end of a journey, and the start of a new one." She smiled and continued. "Lastly, the Lovers Arcana, once more, but in the upright position. My my… You have a great deal of decisions to make here." She giggled a little and she saw us off as we left the tent.

If this is what Elizabeth is doing, then what are Margaret and Theo doing? "Is she really that accurate?" Mitsuru asked me sceptically, as we went back towards the auditorium. "She's the real deal. Heh." I smiled. "I know from experience. I've seen her before." Mitsuru nodded.

We went backstage, and ninja Shinjiro went to the stage. Or ran to the stage as he was being chased by Akihiko. Oh I should say, the show hasn't started yet. "Geez Shinji! Get back here!" I have definitely missed something here. "What's up, Aki?" Aki turned to me with a frown. "He took my protein shake!" Ah. I'd better leave this matter well enough alone. For the good of the Universe.

After a few minutes Kenji managed to separate them, and he gave Aki his protein shake back. Thank god. Incidentally, it was Akihiko's turn to introduce the show this time. The silverette made his way onto the stage in his usual attire. He'd do well to say those lines. "Tonight, we dine in Hell! That is all." He went off the stage, and I fist pumped mentally. He didn't mess it up by saying 'Garudyne' instead of 'dine.'

People were guffawing, and some of them are probably wondering what he meant. Oh they'll know what he meant in a few minutes. Mitsuru and I made our way onto the stage after the curtains fell. I started off, like the first act, playing a song. This one was called 'It's Real.' Mitsuru was sitting on a chair next to me, humming along to the song.

"Eurydice… are you alright?" I asked with a smile. "I'm-I'm fine…" She muttered 'baka' under her breath. Everyone giggled at that one. "If you say so. Please, oh please don't tell me the next minute that you're going to conveniently catch a somehow fatal cold." People knew it was coming. Mitsuru started coughing after that. "Eury! Didn't I tell you not to catch a fatal cold!?" I shook her as she collapsed onto me. "I'm sorry… It wasn't my fault, I swear!" She coughed again. "It was that damn apple, isn't it!? It did have a worm in it after all!" She coughed once more.

"I'm sorry… Orpheus…" Her hand which was held around my face fell and it hung lifelessly towards the ground. "Eury…! Damn you universal interventions!" I cried towards the ceiling. "She didn't have to die like this! Why was it so damn… lame!?" I stood up and placed Mitsuru down onto the floorboards. People were laughing at my flippant comments at her 'death', and as I looked down, I could see her trying to suppress some fit of laughter that she was very close to having.

"That's it! I'm going to the underworld!" I walked off stage, and watched as Hermes, or Kenji scooped her up into his arms and carried her offstage as well. "Great job there." He whispered. "You too."

Akihiko walked onto the stage, and sat himself down on one of the chairs. "What is it now…?" He pulled his radio out of his pocket. "Another one dead from a worm in an apple? My brothers are being douches again, aren't they?" He sighed. His eyes widened as another chibi voice saying gibberish came through the radio. "What!? Are you serious!? Now this I've got to see!" He walked offstage into our direction, and he gave me a grin. People were in awe at how out of character Hades seemed to be, even though this is how his character was designed in the script.

I gave him an equally wolfish grin in response, and walked in from the opposite side. "Wait, since when was the entrance to the Underworld in Hollywood again?" I referenced the Percy Jackson series. And some people understood what the reference was. I walked slowly to the opposite end of the stage, only to have the huge Cerberus prop blocking my way, and backing me towards the audience's right side of the stage. "Ahhh… Hi."

"Yo. Imma Cerberus, and I like cake." Shinjiro spoke from inside the dog prop. This is so out of character for him. "Uh yeah, pleasure. I'm Orpheus, and I listen to music about as much as I play it." That is almost true. I still listen to music more. "Music isn't cake." How painfully obvious. Ah well. "I'm aware of that. But I'm a firm believer that my music is better than cake." The head cocked to the side a little.

I started playing an instrumental version of a song called 'Chinese Sleep Chant,' and to be sure, the prop fell on the floor and let me through. After that, We had to get the prop off the ground and into the wings. I pushed the prop back in with Shinji, and I ran to the other side as quickly and quietly as I could.

"Ne. This is River Styx, right?" Shinji who was out of his ninja uniform, and in a sweet black trench coat, shirt, beanie, shoes and pants came onto the stage. "Yup. You need to pay the ferryman here." He pointed his thumbs at himself. "Me."

"And I pay you…?" I gestured him to keep going. "A dracma. What else?" Dracma is the old Greek currency. "Oh right." I tossed a coin to him, and he nodded. "Just a warning. I'm a 'ferryman.'" And now… He grabbed me and carried me over his head to the wing, and I tried to struggle out of his grip. This wasn't acting this time, since it made it look more realistic, and who in their right mind would be able to get out of Shinji's grip anyway? Yeah, I'm a stronger Persona user, but his raw strength is just freaking amazing.

Once I was in the wing, I dashed to the other side once more and Aki entered from the opposite wing. "Oh. Hi Hades." Aki stroked his imaginary beard. "And you must be the one who came in earlier?" He sat down in one of the chairs in the middle, and he gestured for me to sit down. "Yup. I'm Orpheus, and I've come for my wife Eurydice."

"What is it this time? What did she die of?" He pulled out a book and pretended to look for her name. "Oh. My brother's pranks again. So it wasn't a lie." Cake? If you haven't noticed already, they really are pricks. "I've come to take her back with me to the surface." Aki's eyebrow rose. "And I should do that because…?" I answered, "Well, because your brothers are douches and she should not have been caught up in this and…" I readied my harp. "I'm going to make you cry if you don't."

Akihiko scoffed. "What makes you think that you can make the ruler of the underworld cry?" I grinned. "A lot of things." I started playing on my harp. Ok. Now fan girls in three…two… one. "Oh my gosh!" I heard squeals as I went through the opening of the song, 'It's Real' once more.

_I don't know who's behind the wheel,_

_And sometimes I don't know the deal,_

_But when I tell you how I feel,_

_Believe when I say, 'it's real'…_

_Oh…._

_Oh…_

_It's real…_

_Oh…_

_Oh…_

_It's real…_

_I carved our name onto a tree,_

_I walked on decomposing leaves,_

_I skated on a frozen sea,_

_As far as I can see, it's real…_

_Oh…._

_Oh…_

_It's real…_

_Oh…_

_Oh…_

_It's real…_

Akihiko was trying to suppress tears. And I don't think those are fake. "You actually did it…!" He wiped the tears from his eyes. "Take her and go!" I slumped down into the chair, and Mitsuru came from the wing I was facing. "Eury!"

"Orpheus!" We ran into a hug. "You're back…!"

"But… on one condition." I looked at Akihiko. "You can't look at her when you're going up to the surface. Not even once, or Hermes will come and take her back. And you will lose her forever." I nodded sternly as Mitsuru broke out of our hug. "Come on, Eurydice!" I looked to the opposite wing, and pulled her hand along with me. "I'm coming!" and we ran off to the wing I was looking at previously.

"I can't promise it will be that easy though…" Aki rubbed his forehead, and went back to the wing where he entered from. And so, the curtains fell.

The round of applause was much bigger this time, probably from the emotions that were portrayed in the act of the play. "The emotions you were showing… They weren't quite the same as the ones when we were practising." Mitsuru commented. "Especially the ones in the song." She looked at me a bit worried. "Did you mean what you said in it?"

"Every word." Shinjiro came from behind me. "You guys did really good." I turned to him. "Well, you don't have to worry about performing as much anymore, Shinji." I grinned. "Yeah. That was nerve-wracking… I did do alright, right? That was kinda out of character for me." I gave him a smirk instead this time. "Kinda?" Shinji made a pretend punch at my shoulder, and I jokingly rubbed the spot that he tapped. "See ya later Shinji." He grunted in response.

"Hey! So how did I do Minato?" Akihiko spoke from behind me. "You did well." I smiled. "But I'm just wondering." I pulled a serious face. "Were those tears real?" Akihiko was surprised, though he looked like he saw the question coming. "…Y-yeah?" He smirked after that, and I wasn't really sure why he was doing that. "_It's real…" _He sung the line, and I couldn't help myself to a snicker.

I patted him on the back. "You did even better." I pulled Mitsuru along and waved back to Akihiko. "So, where do you wanna go this time?" Mitsuru thought. "I'm not really sure." Not often that she isn't sure about something. "Well, I was planning on looking for a few friends of mine who said they were going to visit. You wanna come, or…?" Mitsuru shook her head. "I think, I might help myself to some of the cakes at Minako's shop. I wish to try some." I nodded in understanding. "Alright then. I'll see you later." I waved to her after giving her a kiss on the cheek.

I walked past Minako's shop and found a blonde-haired man which was windswept back, and was wearing blue all over at her shop. They were talking animatedly, probably about the ingredients in the food and the things that Minako should improve on. Theo waved goodbye and I waited outside the door. "Yo Theo!" He noticed me and walked towards me. "Hello Minato. Fancy seeing you here. The performance that you have woven for us so far has been spectacular."

I rubbed the back of my head. "Ah, if you really say so Theo. I still think that pros could do it a lot better." He shook his head. "Not this time, I'm afraid. The emotions that you were portraying were so accurate, I couldn't help but think that those emotions were 'real.'" I chuckled at his use of the main chorus of the song in his sentence. "Well, fun fact Theo. They were. As real as my love for all you guys in the Velvet Room is." Theo nodded, and left with a satisfied smile. "Ah, I do believe Margaret may still be in the Auditorium. Splurging on a few drinks I suppose. And he says Elizabeth and I are immature…!" I gave a smile at that, and I left too.

I came back to the auditorium to find Mitsuru gorging herself on a vanilla cupcake, and wolfing through the thing like it was an infinite supply. I chuckled softly and got ready for the next act. The last act.

"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to the show! Now sit, back relax and enjoy!" I heard Kenji call out. The curtains fell, and I entered the stage, pulling Mitsuru with me. "Hi Charon!" I greeted the first time I sped around the stage, waving to Shinji, who promptly got back into the Cerberus prop. "Hi Cerberus!" I skidded to a stop as I neared the entrance back into the opposite wing.

"Eury… We're almost there!" Mitsuru giggled and… Cue Kenji.

"Hey. 'Sup Orpheus." Hermes entered from the wing I was about to exit from. "Oh. It's you." Kenji grinned and tipped his cap slightly. "Hermes, at your service. Now, where are you going with that pretty maiden?" I was able to resist looking back at Mitsuru, because I could still feel her warmth around my hand. "Is it any of your business?" I snapped back. "Hey come on! I would just like to know." Kenji grinned a Junpei-esque grin.

"Well, for your information, I'm bringing my wife, Eury back to the surface with me." Kenji guffawed in laughter in response. "You!?" He wheezed in a couple more barks of laughter. "You can't be serious... You're not going anywhere with her!" I readied my harp. "And if I was?"

"I could just take her right now." I glared. "Don't you dare." I gave the iciest glare I could manage without my eyes starting to glow. "Fine, fine… But how can you be sure I haven't taken her already?" Cue turn-around. I slowly turned around, trying to resist, but eventually succumbing. "Orpheus…" Mitsuru started laughing. She gave me a kiss and yelled out to Hermes, "Stupid. It looks like Orpheus is the tricky one this time!"

I turned back around to Kenji. "What!? Your eyes were closed!?"

I opened them. "Hades didn't say anything about turning to face her…" I grinned, and struck a V-sign. "You lose this time, Hermes."

"Nooooo!" Kenji collapsed onto the floor. "My cake… It was a lie!" He pretended to bawl, and with a grin, I pulled Mitsuru to the wing that Kenji was blocking earlier. I ran to the other wing again, coming full circle. "We're… We're out!" I fell onto the chair from before. "Eurydice… We made it." I made a fist pump. "You did great Orpheus!" Mitsuru sat on the chair next to mine, "I'm not losing to anyone. Not even a god, let alone a demi-god!"

We both stood up and left the stage through the wing. The curtains closed, and I quickly took my scarf off, and loosely wrapped it around Mitsuru's neck. We waited for the curtains to open again, and Shinji, Aki and Kenji still in uniform, came onto the stage and bowed. Mitsuru left my side and waltzed onto the stage just after them, with the scarf trailing behind her. I walked onto the stage last, and took Mitsuru's hand once I reached the middle.

We moved into a single line, took each other's hands, and bowed.

The crowd roared with whoops and whistles and general applause. "Thank you everyone for coming!" Kenji spoke. "Now if you have any questions for us, please ask away now."

A few hands shot up. "Who was doing the stuff in the Cerberus prop?" and other one called out, "Oh! What about the ninja!?" Shinji put his hand up, a little sheepishly. "Ah… that was me." A group made a disbelieving gasp. Next… "Wait, who made the costumes?" I thumbed myself and pointed to Bebe who was standing at the back. There were sounds of general agreement and it died down.

The next question was asked by pretty much all the girls in the room. Which was a lot. "Was the whole proposal thing, just an act?" Mitsuru and I nodded at each other slightly, and we stepped forward. "It's for real." I revealed. Mitsuru showed off her ring finger, and the gossip rose. General chatter rose and it mostly included things like 'gets all the good ones' and 'now we'll never get Minato-senpai' and whatnot.

I caught Margaret who was near the back as well, grinning wolfishly at the spectacle.

This is going to be a long day.

* * *

AN: So, how did you guys find the play that I put in? I hope it's alright. It was mostly for fun, but it was also because I thought missing out on the Kenji Tomochika duo was just too bad of an idea, so now there is no typhoon and the festival was on after all. And sorry if this comes out a bit late since my internet was dead for a few days. So, this one is a little bit longer... I think.

And what about the fight? I tried to make the Hermit a lot more interesting this time, and I added in some old spells to shake it up a bit. And I'd like your thoughts about the movie section as well. Though I do feel I might have rushed the overloads a little bit. Ah well.

Lastly, this one was more drama oriented, so there wasn't really that much fighting. There'll be awesome stuff coming up later though. :D

Please tell me what you thought! Review and no flames!


	6. Reminiscing

_25/09/09 Dark Hour_

"Guys. There's something I want everyone to try since I think that we are now all strong enough to fight a certain someone." Minako pricked up at my words, and she seemed to understand what I meant. Akihiko threw a grin up, and Junpei was wholly anticipating the announcement. "We are going to take out the Reaper."

Shinjiro and Yukari's faces paled, and Aigis was definitely surprised. Mitsuru gave a sly smile instead. "At one time, Shinjiro, Akihiko, Minato, Minako and I were able to use take out the Reaper. This is merely a test of your strength." I heard her mumble though, that it was mostly me and Minako doing the work.

"Who's going to go?" Yukari asked. "Ah, well… Yukari, Junpei, Koromaru and Aigis are going to go. Don't worry too much… Minako and I are going to keep an eye on you while you guys fight." I grinned, and everyone nodded, however reluctantly from some.

We ascended up the stairs to the Thebel block, since the Shadows there aren't troublesome, in fact they're weak as all hell. It'll be easier to wait for the Reaper to appear. "Ok guys. Stay still. I can feel a strong presence coming near..." On cue, the rattling and clattering of chains announced its arrival. The hooded figure in a black and flowing trench coat with tattered ends appeared. The eerie and lone yellow eye pierced through the darkness of its face, which was roughly covered in bloodied bandages. And the revolvers... You don't forget the revolvers.

"Hello again." I approached the suited deity. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Charon." The 'Reaper' nodded, and spoke. "It has been a long time chosen one. Are these your friends?" I looked back at the team who was scared stiff, well, it was only Junpei and Yukari who were. I nodded as I turned back to face him. "As you wish, I will test them. Brace yourselves…" Aigis snapped to attention, and readied here guns while she circled it, peppering it with several rounds of bullets. "Do your best! I'm not leading this time." I grinned, and Minako let out a giggle.

"You sure have a lot of confidence in them onii-chan!" She nonchalantly twirled her naginata around. "But if I didn't this would be for nothing, wouldn't it?"

"Marakukaja!" Aigis shouted out, and a purple haze surrounded the team. "FYI! It resists everything!" Junpei grinned. "Fire Break!" A red haze covered the body of the Reaper, and I had to say it was a smart move on Junpei's part. Koromaru followed up with an Agidyne that burned the Reaper slightly. It still has a lot of energy, weakness or no weakness. "Garudyne!" Yukari summoned Io, and maelstroms of quick moving air spun wildly into the Reaper, slashing at his already tattered cloak.

"Impressive strategy, capped one. But…" The suited deity cocked his guns. "This is where I get serious." Blasts of ice shot out from the barrels to Junpei, who managed to dodge the shot, but he only jumped out of the brunt of the attack. The remaining shards of ice, he slashed away with his katana, Kusanagi. The cold, however, still remained, and it was obvious that the capped teen was getting affected by it because of one of his sub weaknesses to cold. However, wind was his main problem. "Guess that's why Yukari is his mortal enemy." I muttered to myself with a barely noticeable smile. Minako smiled, and I could tell from her expression that she was probably thinking the same thing.

But this was soon forgotten, as Yukari fired a Garudyne that blew the ice into a wild blizzard-like whirlwind that slashed into the Reaper. "Pink one… you did well." I could practically see the barely contained swell of confidence that rose up in her chest. "But, this one will surely be a shocking revelation." I could guess what the suited ferryman was about to do, and I caught the badly made pun.

The Reaper pointed the barrel of his revolver to the sky, and a bolt of wicked lightning dropped down on Yukari. Unfortunately, since lightning was one of the fastest things around here, there wasn't much chance that she could dodge. Doubly unfortunate was the fact that she was weak to electricity. She got off with scorching shock burns, but still conscious. "Urgh… Diarahan…" A healing pulse resonated from her and her burns disappeared and her energy returned.

"Palladion!" Aigis called out the name of her Persona, the shield of Athena, and released a Masukukaja. The green aura, akin to a Garudyne's hue pulled a surge of speed through their bodies, and the red-eyed shiba inu was definitely benefiting from that. He released a Mudoon as he zipped around the Reaper. Purple balls of Dark energy were fired off, and a dark grey plume of dust combined with the residue of the Dark power left some of the oppressive atmosphere that Dark skills usually left.

The Reaper readied his gun, and fired a Samsara at the dog, which was deftly dodged, and the curse-lifting papers were ripped through with Aigis' gun fire. Koromaru barked in thanks, and began a barrage of blue-white Agidynes with Junpei at his side, also firing yellow-orange flames at the suited figure. "Hmph. You did well, white daemon." Kaoromaru gave out a yip in response, and readied himself for another attack by getting into a stance.

"How do you think it's going Minako?" Of course, I had full confidence in them but I was curious. "They're all doing pretty good so far. We'll just have to hope he doesn't cast too many of the spells that I'm thinking of…" I nodded. Things like Root of Evil and Megidolaon were horrifying… "As far as I can tell, they're about a fourth of the way there. Who knows when he's gonna surprise us." I turned back to watch.

"God's Hand!" The aegis Persona of Aigis charged forward and crashed into the Reaper with such force, that it was blown back a bit. When this is something that resists everything, this is impressive. Of course, what I didn't tell them is that Almighty damage like Megido and Nuclear damage like Freildyne work fine on him. They don't have those skills though, so it didn't really matter too much.

"Nicely done, white maiden." The cloaked deity cocked his gun with a Ziodyne charging up in it, and Aigis saw what it was doing. The Anti-Shadow Weapon began circling quickly to make it harder to aim. The Reaper anticipated this, and fired the bolt of lightning to just where Aigis was running, but the white robot skidded to a stop and jumped out of the way of the surge of electricity.

"Very good… I think I should step this up a bit." The suited ferryman began to charge what I recognised to be… Holy Dance. The Reaper vanished from member to member, leaving no traces of his presence behind except for the crashing and burning of Almighty energy. Or Holy energy if that's really what it is. I never figured it out completely… By the way, he's at half-power now. In health and strength.

"We can do this!" Yukari jumped up quickly after the barrage of Almighty damage that was Holy Dance, and casted a Mediarahan on the tired out team. "Agidyne!" Junpei shouted out and started to lay on some more heat with Koromaru with the combined yellow and blue flames.

"Matarukaja!" Aigis shouted out next, and this time, an orange light engulfed the group of Persona users, tensing them up and storing energy to power up their onslaught of Physical and Magic attacks. The Reaper chuckled at their recovery and released a Magnadyne into the ground, making bits of concrete and earth stick out of the floor in spike formations. Other rocks and boulders were strewn about the corridors haphazardly as they took aim at the surprised Persona users. They did only see this attack once before. Pretty much all of the Earth attacks were dodged, and the members of SEES took their chance for another barrage of attacks.

"Junpei! Let's try that, and get Koromaru to help too!" Yukari called out with a sly grin that I hadn't seen on her before. "Sure thing Yuka-tan!" He tipped his cap, and beckoned Koromaru to him. Aigis called for a Debilitate, and lowered the Reapers power a little by decreasing his defences, speed and attack all in one go. Yukari nodded at Aigis with a smile, and shouted out with force, "Panta Rhei!"

Green hued winds picked up in a huge tornado at the Reaper, and at that moment was when Junpei and Koromaru started firing blue and yellow Agidynes into the fray of the vicious winds. I saw this strategy before, and it was a damn good idea. The flames would get amplified by the swirling Panta Rhei, giving the flames power that equated to more than a Ragnarok skill.

The Reaper was hit square in the chest by the fiery tornado due to his lowered speed, and took out near a quarter of his full health with that one attack because of his decreased defences. "You have done well so far, all of you." The Reaper summoned his scythe, and aimed for a full swipe of the weapon at Junpei, who was only barely managing to hold the blade off with Kusanagi. Kusanagi may be able to cut through anything, but that doesn't mean that all of its slashes were going to be big. It could very well mean a chip off from the whole thing which doesn't mean anything.

Junpei's strength was wavering, and he was slowly getting pushed back by the scythe. "Junpei!" Yukari pulled the trigger, and a Garudyne formed that caught the cloaked deity off guard, and pushed it from the team.

The capped teen took his chance to start throwing more Agidynes in a tag team with Koromaru, but realised that the Fire Break that was on the Reaper had worn off, and wasn't hitting the guardian of Tartarus for as much damage as they would have wanted. "Crap!" Junpei proceeded to put another Fire Break on him, but he wasn't hast enough to dodge the incoming Aquedynes. And, this hit him harder than even a Bufudyne did, and he fell unconscious. "No!" Yukari readied a Samarecarm as Aigis distracted the cloaked deity by peppering it with several bullets, and basically, being an annoyance.

Meanwhile, Koromaru was firing off several Agidynes and Mudoons at the Reaper as Aigis distracted the suited figure, while Yukari healed Junpei. "Phew! Thanks Yuka-tan!" Yukari nodded in response, and pulled a Precious Egg from her satchel, making it clear that she used a lot of SP in succession from the Panta Rhei and Samarecarm that she just used.

She gulped it down with a grimace, and once again, started throwing Garudynes at the Reaper willy-nilly. Junpei started to tag team with Koromaru again with help from Hermes, by throwing even more Agidynes along with him, some of which even merged with Yukari's Garudynes and created maelstroms of fire as they combined. Aigis was keeping up with the buffs and debuffs on the Reaper, and by this time the Reaper was definitely looking worse for the wear.

"Stop!" Immediately, the team stopped their onslaught. The cloaked deity steadily rose up to his full height and bowed. "You have done very well, team." He looked over at everyone, studying them.

"Pink one, you have done well to co-ordinate you skills and teamwork. Truly." Yukari let the swell of confidence out this time in a huge smile as the fight was over.

"Capped one, you did well to follow the orders given, and work out several strategies to deal the maximum damage. Very well, I might add." Junpei pulled his trademark grin in response.

"White maiden, you did well to recognise when your skills were needed when the others were in distress. Fitting for the shield of Athena." Aigis nodded, but I could sense the happiness coming off her small smile.

"White daemon… Have a hi-paw, for your prowess in battle was wonderful." Koromaru yipped, and obliged the hi-paw.

"Well, you all did really good. I'm impressed." I looked over at Charon as I approached them along with Minako. "And thanks for letting us fight with you Charon." The Reaper nodded. "If you need me again, I'll be waiting." He disappeared in a flurry of black and red mist, leaving only a red-stained button on the floor behind.

Minako picked it up. "Heehee. This is a sign of you guys' victory!" She presented the button to them. "Why is it red?" Yukari asked.

"I dunno. Maybe we should ask him next time, Yukari-chan." Minako gave her radiant smile and after some discussion about how awesome they were, we headed for the teleporter pad.

_4/10/09 Evening, Full Moon_

"Yo Eli-chan." Elizabeth looked up from the compendium that she was holding with a smile. "Hello Minato." She stood up and closed the heavy tome. "What would you like to do today?" Her yellow eyes stared back with curiosity.

"I was going to try fusing some of those weapons…" She understood, and led me to the Armoury. "Just so you know… These weapons can only be made as swords." She noted and soon left me to my devices. I picked out a Nihil Sword from my bag and thought about which one I should forge first. I finally settled on the Magician Arcana's Brisingr just to go in order, since I didn't have the Fool Social Link overload yet.

I then thought about how I was actually going to fuse this weapon as well, since I wasn't sure if this needed a Persona or not. "Ah yes. You need to gather all the Magician Personae in your mind. Then, you channel the Magician Arcana's primary power after you heat it." Primary power? Hm… Well… I guess if I were to say, one of the primary powers of the Empress arcana was Dia… Oh…! I see. The Magician's primary power is fire.

"Thank you." I placed the black sword on the anvil, and grabbed the diamond mace that was sitting on the side of the stand. I used an Agidyne on the sword, and it glowed a hot white from my white flames. I pushed Surt to the front of my mind, and smashed the mace down on the sword. "Ragnarok!" The magic that signalled the end of the world was trapped within the hammer, and a red and orange light was released from the head of the mace, and the once black sword was christened in a golden light.

I picked up the sword, which was pleasantly warm in my hands. I tried a swing, and… Blue flames erupted from the blade, and flickers of the fire flew from it. I concentrated to see the innate skills, and I found Ragnarok in it to my surprise. Yeah, when I used the same spell to make the thing, I'd think I'm going to be so surprised. Can you feel the sarcasm dripping off?

But I also found Garudyne and Psyo. Ne, that last spell is rare… A smile wormed its way onto my face as I thought about how awesome it was. Men are forever boys; they're never too old for toys.

_Dark Hour_

Oh 'Blind Alley' tis a song that will carry me with its melody for a good few hours. I don't understand why I don't listen to it more often, really. But then again, when this track gets covered up by other songs like 'Mass Destruction' and 'Danger Zone' you're not going to hear this happy tune often.

Oh right. Shadow fight. Unintentional rhyme. Minako and I travelled to the Iwatodai Strip Mall, which was perfect since there were actual bike racks there. I made a silent smile to myself and waited for the rest of SEES to show up. Ooh, another song. This is a Velvet Room exclusive song, given to me by Igor and Elizabeth. They gave me three songs so far: 'Aria of the Soul,' 'Electronica in the Velvet' and 'Blues in the Velvet Room.' I was listening to the last of the three that I mentioned, and it gave off a relaxing vibe as I listened, and very nearly became lost in the cool melody of the song instead of thinking about battle plans.

If the deck is unfolding as I expect it to, Fortune should be coming next. If there is a tag team like on the night we also rescued Fuuka-chan, Strength would be coming along for the party too. Breaking me out of my thoughts was Aki's voice as the now arriving team came closer.

"Yo. You ready?" He had his trademark smirk on. "Sure. When you guys are." The silverette nodded and turned to the rest of SEES.

"So, now that we're all about the same level… Minako, Aigis and Koromaru." They complied, and Minako seemed especially happy that she was going to get to go with me. Junpei grinned and waved as we went to the area where the Shadows stood. Junpei seems to be shaping up, I thought to myself with a grin.

"It looks like the Fortune and Strength like I thought." As we got closer, the Strength Shadow cast a… something over the Fortune Shadow. "It seems that the Strength Arcane has put up a barrier of some sort over the Fortune Arcane. I'm thinking that you probably won't be able to attack the Fortune unless you defeat the Strength first." I nodded. "Good to know Fuuka."

We turned to face the Strength Shadow, and to say the least… Well, it looks pretty strange. It looked like a woman, as depicted on the Tarot card with a head of blonde hair and a pink dress. The skirt of the dress which reached her feet was surrounded with metal barriers of some sort, with different coloured roses in the space between the dress and the metal. In the Shadow's hands was one of those flowers; a red rose.

"So far, no weakness for the Strength, and the Fortune should be the same." I stretched myself and cracked my knuckles. "'Kay, you guys ready to go?" Everyone nodded, and Koromaru barked.

I unsheathed Brisingr, and the beautiful sky blue blade shone bright. I charged forward, and ignited the flames of Brisingr. The blade cut through the Shadow's flesh like a loaf of warm butter, bringing forth buckets of ichor, some of which splashed onto my white shirt under my blazer. "Ugh…" I jumped back, and Minako immediately ran for a combo with her naginata and scored several deep cuts that spilled even more of the thick, black liquid.

Aigis activated a Marakukaja which raised all of our defences with its violet light. Koromaru ran in circles around the Strength Arcane, producing smoke and black dust as he made for a barrage of blue Agidyne and purple Mudoon spells, which left the Shadow burning and considerably bruised. Just thinking about how easy this fight with the Strength Shadow compared to the team Reaper fight was making me giddy, and bringing a smile to my face.

…Until the Fortune Shadow kicked in. The fortune Shadow looked like a gold lion or dog made of mechanical parts. It looked like the lion that the woman was taming on the Strength Arcana card.

It leapt into the air, and conjured a gold plated spinning board which was split into six segments. They alternated between red and blue, and showed several signs on it. Two small hit marks, two large hit marks and lastly, two red hearts with plus signs on them. The hit mark looked like the hit marks used in manga to express where people or things were hit.

The Shadow landed on top of the spire in the middle and started spinning. "Um…" the board was spinning by pretty fast, but with the help of Alice… Oh crap. "Guys! Watch out! The Strength is still attacking!" Aigis snapped to attention, and started peppering bullets on the Strength Arcane, who recoiled slightly from the attack. Koromaru growled and brandished his knife against the Shadow, performing acrobatic manoeuvres while slashing into the flesh of the femme.

I concentrated on the Fortune again, and I yelled out 'stop' as the needle passed the one I wanted. The board slowed down and…What the hell!? Did it just…? Cheat? It landed on a red segment with a large hit mark. Crap.

An invisible force knocked the wind out of me and the others, and onto the ground. Why you little…! Another force knocked into us again, and blew me back a few metres. I struggled to get up again, but I wasn't fast enough to react to the final blow which crushed my rib cage.

I coughed a little and spat out some blood as I stood up, however shakily. Aigis didn't seem too affected, but she definitely wasn't in the best of shape. Koromaru was winded, but he seemed to be okay as he gave out a growl and snapped an angry bark. Minako, seemed to be cradling her leg, but otherwise fine…. I switched to Alilat, and used a Mediarahan on us. My rib bones were put back into place, and my breathing became a lot less laboured, as I realised that the bone was pushing into my lungs and almost ruptured it. Minako stood up, good as new, and summoned Eurydice.

"Niflheim!" Blocks of ice, sleet, hail and snow wailed on the Strength Arcane as the atmosphere's temperature dropped a flash below zero Celsius. The white shiba-inu began another wave of Agidynes and Mudoons like before, and I could tell the Shadow was becoming progressively weaker as each of the Magic Skills hit squarely on the surface of the femme's skin. Aigis used an Akasha Arts attack on the Strength, and it was knocked down onto the ground, but not quite dead. All the members gave me a look, and I understood that they were relying on me to give the finishing blow.

I drew Brisingr. "Psyo!" Flashes of neon colours in shades of pink, purple, green and blue erupted from my blade, and the Strength Shadow dissipated into red and black mist. I grinned, and I could feel a warm energy building up in my chest, particularly my heart. I ignored it for the time being, and focused on the Fortune Arcane.

"Guys! Like I predicted, the Fortune is now free to attack!" I nodded to myself, and glared at the golden lion. I heard a voice in my head, and it was an absolutely conceited one. "Don't deny fate." I tried to shut the voice out, but it continued. "Eventually, everyone is going to find out just to what extent you went to achieve your goals." That's when I froze. "Then, everyone will abandon you…" I nearly couldn't believe what it was saying. "You'll be left…" Why was it doing this? "Because, I am you…" I could hear an extremely piercing crack of glass in my head. "PERSONA!"

My head was wracking with pain, and my one of my Personae, Thanatos appeared. "..nii-cha…" My snapped back to focus. "Onii-chan!" Minako shook me once more, and I found the pain was gone, but… Thanatos was still floating up above me, and I couldn't lead it back into the sea of my soul. "Thanatos…" I glared at the Fortune Shadow with the iciest glare I could muster, and commanded Thanatos, "Die For Me!"

Arrays of blood-stained weapons were conjured up in the air around the Greek death god, and the same purple orbs that appeared when casting Mudoon were part of the onslaught of Magic. They flew towards the Fortune with surprising speed, and a mix of Mudoons, Agidynes, Arrow Rains and Bufudynes were brought into the mix, and defeated the Fortune Arcane in one shot. "Don't deny fate…" A sinister chuckle echoed in my head and I had to resist the shivering and tears that the words gave me.

_Dark Hour_

There were still quite a few minutes of Dark Hour left, and I had time to spend by myself since Minako pretty much dropped dead on the bed as soon as her head touched the pillow.

I wonder if the catastrophe that was implied by the Tower Arcana's appearance is related to my cases. I wouldn't be surprised if it was, but if that is true, then… I can't hide the secret any longer. "Dammit!" I punched the wall next to me with all my anguish and sadness packed in. The wall was left with a huge and deep crack, and I was certain that if you touched it even lightly again, the wall would implode. Or… collapse.

I cursed internally, several times. And if this secret does get out, what's going to happen? Another police chase? I mean, I wouldn't mind, but what about my friends, my fiancée… Minako? I shook my head out of my thoughts. I tried anyway. "Orpheus… what am I doing?"

I broke, and slumped onto the stairs. When this happens, shit is going to go down, and all my friends are going to get caught up in my mess. Why did I do this? What am I doing to myself now? I didn't notice it before, but my knuckles were raw and worn down to the bone when I punched that wall. It stung, but…

It wasn't anything to compare to all the sadness and futility that was seeping into my heart.

_20/10/09 After School_

Somehow, I managed to get through the exams without thinking too much about what the Fortune Arcane said to me. After all, if I did keep thinking about it, my grades would go down for sure, and Minako probably would have noticed something was wrong by now. Now that would be bad.

If only… That's something I repeat to myself a lot nowadays. I don't stop thinking about what could've been, and what it is now. I should forget. But I don't. I don't want to forget, and I want to keep on being reminded. Stuck in the past I guess…

I really have to stop brooding for now. Maybe, not stop brooding… but ignore it, even just for a little while.

"Minato?"

"Huh? Oh. Hey Mitsuru." I smiled and approached the redhead. "What's up?"

"Ah, since you tied with me again for top marks, I thought I would give you a little something…" She gave me another set of cards, this time of the Queen set. "Ah, I see. Thanks Mitsuru." She nodded and walked off. At this time I could feel the stares of several people, so I thought it prudent to leave before the looks got any worse.

_3/11/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

"Takaya… Jin." I regarded the two of them, with a small nod. "What are you doing here?"

"We've come to stop you." Takaya coolly pointed his gun at me. I could hear hushed gasps from most of the female members of the team. I wonder. I helped them before, but now they're attacking. Why? "We do not wish to see the world come to an end." I flinched a little from the fact that he practically read my mind, and I could see where he was going with this. "Takaya…" I shook my head and sighed. "It's too late. We either go through with this, and half the city will be destroyed overnight, and panic will ensue."

"A small price to pay for the good of the world." I heard him cock the gun, and soon, a bang rang out.

The seemingly wrapped gasps were becoming louder. Blood trickled down my forehead. I silently cast a Diarahan. "What make you think after all the times we've met up that a bullet is going to faze me?" The duo flinched a little, and Jin bit his lip. "You can't really be settling this in a gunfight. Why don't we take these out then…?" Mitsuru and the others drew their Evokers in sync, and pointed it towards our temples.

"If you insist…" Takaya sighed. "Hypnos!" In red mist, his Persona materialised Thanatos' brother and activated a Mind Charge Skill. Guess we better be careful. "Aigis, Koromaru, Junpei and Yukari, go for Jin! Mitsuru, Aki, Shinji and Minako, with me." Everyone complied and charged for their respective targets. I unsheathed Brisingr and aimed for a slash on the messiah-wannabe. He dodged all of my strikes, but got his skin burned a little form the licking of the searing flames.

"Penthesilea!" Mitsuru called out, and a Bufudyne was aimed at the greasy-haired man. The air temperature dropped several degrees, turning the muggy air to shards of ice which moved to encase Takaya. Thankfully, the attack hit, and the half-naked man gritted his teeth in response. "Castor!" The horseman that Shinjiro summoned used a Magnadyne, and the ground around Takaya cracked and convulsed, finally ending the spell with a blunt stalagmite of earth to hit Takaya in the back as he was still down.

"Thunder Reign!" Aki called out, bringing the syringe wielding pugilist Polydeuces into the realm of the Dark Hour. The twin of Castor pointed his syringe towards the sky, conjuring balls of lightning to move at unprecedented speed at the messiah-wannabe. They all hit, and to my pleasure, he was paralysed.

"Come on, Eurydice!" Minako summoned the red-haired mistress of strings and used a God's Hand to knock Takaya in the solar plexus, held-in breath escaping from him stomach and lungs.

"Hypnos…" He softly named his Persona, and used… "Megidola!" Royal purple and gold orbs of Almighty Magic exploded, and a few of them managed to hit me, as the path of the spheres were so unpredictable. But the power of that move was heightened by his Mind Charge, so I took even more damage than usual.

Things were due to get worse though.

A screech from above announced the arrival of the Full Moon Shadow of the night, and now really wasn't a great time for it to barge in on our party. "Ugh… ok… Shinji! Aki! Minako! I'm leaving you in charge of Takaya." I gestured for Mitsuru to come with me, and also shouted out for Junpei and Yukari to follow me. Aigis and Koromaru understood and went back to wailing on the blue haired pyrotechnic that was Jin.

Horrible. "Fuuka… We can't get to it. It's floating."

"Oh! The statues on the ground seem to be giving some sort of power. Maybe if you destroy them, the airborne Shadow will drop to the ground."

I looked up at the Shadow through Alice's eyes, and it was as I thought. It was the Hanged Man Arcane. But geez, the posture it was in looked horrifyingly painful. The humanoid body it had was in a position that reminded me of a person bungee jumping or something along those lines. The skin on its back was being pulled in every which way, stretching up as they were held by clips to a cloth, which in turn was attached to some strange statue-like Shadows.

Any way the others would slice it, they weren't going to get up there without destroying the statues. I could fly on top of Thanatos, but I needed to get the others to be able to attack it too. "So, whatcha planning senpai?" Junpei asked with a tip of his cap and his trademark grin.

"We have to destroy the statues if we want to get to the main body. You and Mitsuru can focus on them." Junpei nodded, and gestured for the red-head to follow him. "Yukari…" I thought for a bit, and then smiled as black blobs fell from the top of the huge Shadow. "We need to take care of those so they don't distract Junpei and Mitsuru." She nodded with a small smile, and cast a Magarudyne on the Mayas that just fell down from the form of the Hanged Man Arcane.

Ichor was spilled by the viciousness of the multiple swirling tornadoes, and the black sludge was torn to shreds. "We'll just need to keep attacking the Shadows that fall until Junpei and Mitsuru finish levelling those statue Shadows." She nodded. "That should be pretty easy!" She beamed, and damn. That smile is contagious, and I couldn't help but pull a grin too.

"Magarudyne!" I called, and Cybele obliged me with slashing winds that tore the Shadows apart as they fell from the sky. Ichor splashed out everywhere as the black blood was carried on the lingering winds.

All too suddenly, a crash echoed through the area and I knew that the Hanged Man Arcane had finally been pulled to the ground. "Yukari! Tell Junpei and Mitsuru to start assaulting the Shadow!" I gathered flashes of blue, gold and purple in between my palms. "I'll take care of the rest." I grinned as I charged up more power. She nodded, if a little worriedly and joined the others as they began attacking.

Maelstroms of combined Agidynes and Garudynes surged through the air, raging and broiling through the Hanged Man's flesh. Stabs of extreme cold and heat pierced through the atmosphere, and I realised that Mitsuru and Junpei were combining Agidynes and Bufudynes together, as bright sparks of lightning flew through the air from the combined opposites. Lastly, Garudynes and Bufudynes were mixed together too, and I knew that the frigid air was bringing about blizzard-like tornadoes to life, slashing and freezing the grounded Shadow into pieces. "GUYS! OUT OF THE WAY!"

I finished charging and they promptly ran and jumped behind me. "NIHIL BLAST!" A huge explosion filled the area in front, and the Hanged Man Arcane was but a smouldering pile of ichor and ash as the huge field of energy spread and dispersed around the Moonlight Bridge. Oh damn my SP…! I temporarily lost my balance, and managed to hold myself as I stumbled backwards.

"Whooaa…" I grinned up at Mitsuru's face. She had apparently caught me as I fell down once more. "So, how'd we do, Mitsuru-hime?" She gave one of her sly smiles. "We all did…" She looked around as Koromaru, Aigis, Aki, Shinji and Minako approached us. "Onii-chan!" She came closer, and I managed to regain my balance as Mitsuru let go. "Minako…" She flew into me with a hug, and I rubbed her back in response. "Let's go home."

_4/11/09 Dark Hour_

Alice and I had certainly done some more chatting during the summer, and winter was just around the corner. "What's up Alice?" She appeared on my bedside, and sat herself down, prim and proper. "I…" I she held her hand to her heart. "I finally remember everything." She looked up at me with saddened eyes. "I know what my role is now, for sure." She twiddled her thumbs briefly. "That means, I have to go. But, know that I'll always be with you…" I reached up for her hand as I stood up, and my hand met hers which was pushing me away from her slightly. "Well see each other very soon. I know it." She beamed and she disappeared for the last time into the darkness.

I almost couldn't believe what happened. That one constant in my life, Alice… Just up and gone, even if it was only temporary. I flopped down onto my bed, not even bothering to slip underneath the covers, though the bites of Jack Frost drew ever closer.

_9/11/09 Morning_

I struggled to keep my eyes open that morning, as Hypnos' clutches drew me closer into darkness. But in all seriousness, I was pretty sleepy. I'm not usually sleepy. Minako, despite her very bubbly and outgoing personality is the lazier of us two. But, it was due to change as a girl that I was sure I should not have been seeing anymore walked a little timidly behind Miss Ounishi.

I heard general whispers of her being cute, and taking her out on dates from the guys, and murmurs of jealousy being the general consensus of the female population. This was aside from Mitsuru, who was merely curious, even if her façade didn't show it.

"Ohayo, minna-san! Today we have a new student. Introduce yourself, if you would." Ounishi-sensei gestured to the girl, and the girl took her gloved hand to the chalk sitting on the sill of the blackboard and wrote her name. 'Alice Mochizuki' was what it read, 'Alice' being spelt with the slurred 'l' turned 'r' that always was the case in Japanese.

"Um, I'm Mochizuki Alice… douzo yoroshiku… I would appreciate it if you took good care of me." She bowed. She pulled out a small V-sign, a grin and a hammer to smash through the cute and shy ask she was putting up and finished with, "Guys better do your best!" Ok so it wasn't a small V-sign. It was more like a re-enactment of Rise making her trademark pose.

The seat next to me was empty, and that was where Ounishi-sensei indicated her to sit. "Ne, what's your name?" I blinked at her whispered question, and shook my head immediately. What happened was all I was thinking of at that time. "Arisato Minato…" I noticed on her headband… it was the white and blue flower that I gave her from Yakushima. No doubt it was the Alice that I knew, but something was terribly off about her. "Cool."

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast established a link with the Fortune Arcana…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when fusing Weapons and Personae of the Fortune Arcana…**

Oh Eli, you sneaky…

_Lunchtime_

I decided to show Alice around, though it was mostly her insistence… After reaffirming the fact that I absolutely was not cheating on Mitsuru from the redhead queen herself, saying that she was obvious that it was her idea, and it seemed more out of friendliness than lust. If it was for that reason, what would I do? Not the time to be thinking about that. Later, so it can cut into brooding time.

"Minato-san, why do you keep looking at me like that?" She looked at me with an absolutely quizzical look on her face. Oblivious indeed. "…" I grinned. "No reason."

"Don't tease me like that…" She pouted, and it was almost like she had a case of Minako syndrome, which I came up with just now. True story. No but really, I was really just staring at the flower on her headband that seemed so out of place on her, which was in pristine condition. It wasn't dried brown or marred in any way. Just still perfect.

"Come on. It's inevitable. I'll admit you are one of the cutest girls in the school, I reckon." I grinned wolfishly. "Really? First day, and I'm already famous?" She questioned. "It's right about the level of Yukari and my imoto, Minako who are both sophomores here." It was her turn to grin this time. "Then they must be pretty cute!" But she stopped weaving her spiel, and finally asked about Mitsuru. "What about Mitsuru-san?"

"Eh? Oh. She's my girlfriend." She nodded and took the information in. "Seems like it. You two seem so perfect each other, and it feels like the kind of love…" She paused and giggled a tiny bit. "This might be crazy but… The kind of love that transcends even alternate dimensions." Never thought about it like that. "Really?"

"Sure!" She pulled off her patented V-sign and continued with, "I swear it on my peace sign!" I ruffled her hair a little, but unlike Minako, she seemed to enjoy the pat. Ok, maybe Minako really did enjoy it, but just pouted to make me do it more. Well, it certainly worked, since I keep on wanting to see her different reactions when I do that.

_16/11/09 After School_

"So, Aki, Shinji. What do you think of the upcoming trip?" Akihiko perked up and sat himself upright. "Oh, um… Well, I am hoping that it'll be fun." He smiled and looked up at Shinjiro who had gotten himself up from his seat already. "Yeah? Well, I'm more excited about the exclusive food that you can get there. You know me." I almost forgot about that. Thank you Shinjiro.

"Yoo!" Alice joined the conversation. "Oh yeah? Speaking of exclusive… I heard the hotel they're packing us seniors and second years into has a hot spring!" She beamed, and Shinjiro immediately looked away from all three of us, and if it was my guess, I would say he was thinking about the girls who were to inevitably use the onsen there. Aki was oblivious. As usual.

"Ah yes. The hotel we're staying at is indeed packing an onsen within." Mitsuru's voice interjected. At this time, I saw Shinji flinch and turn away from us completely. "I just hope Iori doesn't try anything unsavoury, considering… well, you know his tendencies." With that, Shinjiro promptly left the room. "Did I say something to provoke him?" The redhead looked at me quizzically. "Mitsuru… He was provoked already. You just pulled the trigger on that is all. I just didn't expect him to leave completely though." I grinned.

"I'll bet the guy is just watching his fantasies fly right past him, and is desperately trying to ignore them." Aki spoke, and he was the one being knowledgeable this time. How rare. Despite Shinjiro having more brawn, he's really the smarter of the two. It's funny, really.

It might just be Aki with girls. That works too.

Everyone was due to leave, even Alice. But Shinjiro came walking back in, with a sheepish look on his mug. "What's up?" Shinji twiddled his thumbs. I never would've thought I'd see the day when he would become interested in another girl. His thumb twiddling was the sign. "I…" It was a good thing that pretty much everyone was gone. "I'm… I think I like Minako… and not in the usual way…" I grinned wolfishly, and slapped him on the back. "Great job Shinji!" He looked at me almost menacingly, but his glare softened as I explained. "Back on the trip to Yakushima… I heard Minako talking about you as I was relaxing. She was complimenting you every which way. You're lucky she likes you back."

Shinjiro's apparent light blush deepened and he looked away quickly. "Is that… right?" I slapped him on the back once more. "I know how you are, so I don't mind if you did actually want to date her…" Oh it was fun teasing him sometimes. His blush reddened even more. "Dude…"

"I can't imagine what would happen if she was actually attracted to Akihiko. That protein junkie never had the eye for affection if it hit him in the face." I gestured for another slap on the back, but just landed my hand on his shoulder. "Just take care of the girl, won't ya?" He nodded very slightly and stiffly, and I took it as a signal for me to leave.

_17/11/09 Morning_

The view outside of the train's walls was blurring past, barely leaving afterimages of the green and blue speeding landscape. Today was the field trip to go to Kyoto. I was excited for the whole thing, yeah. And unfortunately Koromaru couldn't attend with us, so we left him with Ken who seemed especially eager to spend time with the shiba inu. But a part of me still wasn't looking forward to it. It's amazing where three years of wandering can take you, and Kyoto was one of those places. It was one of the first places I hit after cleaning out Tokyo. I could practically imagine the very perplexed look of the police after they realised how much criminal activity had gone down in that bustling city, which was perfect for spawning some very seedy operations.

I briefly wondered if anyone had noticed my air-headedness, and I snuck a look at the surrounding seniors and saw that Alice was the only one who had really noticed. She seemed to be content to keep that to herself though. "Kaze no koe…" I whispered softly in a sweet melody, and the rest of the lyrics softly passed through my lips. But I wasn't singing this to the original song. It was 'Memories of the City' instead. It was a slow version of it, and it was much sadder, if only filled with more reminiscing than the poppy original.

From the corner of my eye, I saw that Alice was smiling softly, and Mitsuru had a small smirk crafted on her face. Would they stay like that forever? Just like that. Always smiling…

_Evening_

We had reached the hotel with little trouble, and the luxurious space was definitely nothing to snuff at. I looked around a little noticing the onsen, and grinned to myself a tiny bit. I didn't get to glance at anything else interesting when Toriumi sensei started barking out orders for the girls and boys to separate.

Well, I'll get to spend time with my friends tomorrow.

_18/11/09 Daytime_

The daytime was spent looking at the many traditional shrines. They weren't anything too special I guess, but I comforted myself by thinking about how dreadfully dull it would be to go into a dark alley and beat up on some unsuspecting thugs. They would always be too traumatised by a blue boy summoning the master of the Death Arcana, Thanatos and ripping apart their pride to do anymore crimes.

…Now is not the time to be thinking about morbid things like that Minato.

Alice pulled me along to the huge bell located just outside the temple, and I smiled to myself, thinking about how much she was enjoying it. …It's just a bell. A bell. I sighed. I would slap my head if… Ah. Mitsuru's coming up behind me. Nevermind. Assume cheerful Persona. Hello Pixie.

…Totally worked. Wait, if I have Pixie out here now… what Persona did I have equipped just now? Hello?

**Oh you had me out. Sorry.**

Not your fault… Nekomata.

"Ah…" On cue to discreetly walk away.

More shrines, and more shrines… oh. But we took a few photos on the way, courtesy of Keisuke, who just seemed to be in everything related to art. As in, general art, music and photography. For the record, he's also a friend of Hidetoshi. Student council guy who Fuuka has a crush on.

Shinji wasn't doing much, though is it just me or is Shinji talking to Minako more? Yes… I love it when little plans like that come to fruition. And cue the distorted face of Minako. She flew into him with a hug. I knew it.

"Hey Mitsuru…!" She walked over to me quickly, and looked at me with a questioning face. "What is it?" I pointed to Minako and Shinji who were proceeding to walk around the shrine together. "Oh my…" I snickered a bit. "Let's keep this a secret from the girl for now." I grinned and we went back to get counted for roll since this stop was drawing closer to an end.

And then, free time happened. "Hey, Minato!" Alice ran over to me. "Do you wanna get out for a bite?" I thought it over, but eventually shrugging my shoulders is what I went with. "Why not?" She led me out to a street with many shops. Not to mention an abundance of students going out since it was free time.

"Ooh! Can we go there first?" She pointed towards a jewellery shop. Not what I was expecting from her, since she seemed to like hanging out at pretty much all the eating places more than actual merchandise stores. What's brought this on? I shrugged, and again, she led me by my wrist. Seeing the raw gems around reminded me of back home, since on the occasion that people actually came to buy some of our Skill Cards that was what they exchanged. It just reminded me of okaa-san… I breathed out the air I didn't know I was holding out in one big one, as silently as I could. The black-haired girl looked curiously at a set of rings, which I didn't know what was for, since she doesn't seem too attracted to anyone in particular. The only one she showed her flirting around was Akihiko and… Me. Huh.

She looked very intently at this one plain gold band with a pale blue gem in it. I looked over her shoulder at it, checking the price tag. Well, it was pretty cheap I guess. "You want that one?" I grinned. She looked up at me, and her face creased into a smile. "If it's not too much trouble…" Hm. She wasn't the kind of girl who emptied my pocket a little without asking. Even then, the things she bought were never very expensive. One blessing out of that. "Well… alright."

I ruffled her hair and pulled out a note for her to use, which she took with some apprehension. Like I said, she wasn't really one who asked to buys things willy-nilly. She was the kind of girl who would only ask if it was very important. Which I have to wonder now; why was she so set on making me buy it when she always has the yen with her to buy as much food as she wants and more? Thankfully, she ate as much as an average person. I shuddered at Elizabeth's appetite, though she always paid for her food with her endless waterfall of yen that was her velvet blue wallet.

Once outside, she slipped the ring onto her white-gloved hand. On her pointer finger, so it wasn't anything that would put me under fire for being a cheater or anything. "Sorry about that…" She looked at me a little apologetically. "It's fine." I said, almost bluntly. "It's just, I wanted to treasure the memories that I have here, and I thought it would be a little more meaningful if you bought it for me." My mouth turned upwards ever so slightly. Of course that's why. "What do you think?" She twirled around on the spot, which was kinda cute. "It looks nice on you Alice." She giggled and pulled me along to the nearby river bank.

"You know?" She grabbed my attention before continuing. "I got a ring instead of anything else because… you know how other rings they give a kind of binding feeling when you wear them?" I nodded. Just like an engagement ring. "I wanted to have a bit of that feeling, and rings seemed just like the perfect thing. You know? Maybe it seems a bit silly but, that's how I feel." She smiled broadly at me, and I couldn't help but ruffle her hair in response. "No, that makes sense. Even ask Mitsuru." She blinked at me for a few moments before snapping her fingers.

"Oh, you mean that really pretty ring on her ring finger?" She had a curious face on. "I gave it to her." She made a 'huh' before realising it. "Ehh!? You're engaged!?" She looked at me with a disbelieving face. I chuckled. "Oh yeah… you weren't there for the culture festival." I rubbed the back of my head. "Well congratulations there!" She put up her signature V-sign. "Lucky." Oh good she isn't a fan girl. And now I can sleep easy. Ok in all honesty, her flirting with me is just some joking gesture from her. It was easy to see because Mitsuru always chuckled a bit when she tried.

"Hm. It's getting a bit dark. We should go back." I nodded as I stood up, and she followed behind me. For once, she wasn't pulling me along.

_19/11/09 Evening_

Junpei invited Aki, Shinji and I to go to the hot springs today. I honestly had a bad feeling about it, but I went against my better judgement and decided to go along with him. Yup, it was pretty steamy in here, like an onsen should be. I went on my own initiative and got there before all the others. Slowpokes.

Thanks to that I was able to check the times of the boy and girl separation times to make sure nothing unfortunate happens. Yeah, I had plenty of time. Some ten minutes later, Junpei and the others came in. I was planning to get out after we hung out for a few minutes. It was some few minutes before the change, and I now figured out Junpei's plan. It wasn't something I wanted to get pulled in.

Aki slipped in, and Shinji followed him. Junpei went in last. "Whew, I'm beat. You know…" I was about to protest to his plan, but I decided I would wait until after he finished his spiel. "I kinda forgot when the springs change to the girls' time." Shinji absolutely paled. "WHA..! You idiot!" He almost tackled Junpei, but Aki managed to hold him back before he did any serious damage. "So that means…" The usually capped teen pulled a wolfish grin. And it was widened considerably as Shinjiro wasn't matching up to Aki's strength at the moment. Which I found unbelievable. "…It could change to the girls' turn anytime. And we can just say we didn't know!" His trademark grin plastered his face, and Shinji eventually gave up with a groan. I was busy trying to supress the perverted thoughts that were entering my mind about Mitsuru, and dammit, it wasn't working! Akihiko spoke, "Is that why we came in this weird time…? You moron." He slapped his head. Time to work my magic.

"Unfortunately for you and your little scheme Junpei, I do know when they're going to change." Junpei's face turned to one of panic. Aki and Shinji sighed in relief at the revelation. "So that means we should be getting out very soon. If we are unlucky enough to get caught by the girls while you're ogling them…" I glared icily at Junpei, so intensely that the hot air in the spring could have turned to snow. "Mitsuru…" I shuddered. "She's going to execute each and every one of us slowly…" I looked at the visibly paling group of guys. "…And painfully." Akihiko and Shinjiro gulped. I turned to Shinji especially. "And don't even get me started on Minako. That's why…" I got out of the pool of water, tying my hair back up into a loose ponytail and grabbing a towel. "…I'm going to be going now. You're welcome to follow the path of the living with me."

Junpei muttered a small 'kuso' and refused to get out of the pool with all us seniors. "Glad you guys are joining me." I smiled at the both of them as we left the onsen. "Thanks for the save…" Shinji rubbed the back of his head. "No worries Shinji." Meanwhile, Akihiko looked very confused. "Hehe." I looked at Shinji who shrugged, knowing what I was about to say. "Shinji and Minako are a thing now." Aki looked at Shinji with a grin. "Great job man!" Shinji coughed very conspicuously and walked hastily to the room he was sharing with us. "What?"

"Nah. He's just shy." Akihiko looked at me with a disbelieving stare. "Shinji? Shy?"

"Yes. You didn't notice?" Of course he didn't. Akihiko is of course a wall when it comes to this stuff.

* * *

AN: Thanks for the favourites I'm getting! This is my first 'real' fanfic, so I'm very happy this story is getting some love.

Akuma-Heika: Thanks for pointing that error out, I'll fix it as soon as I can. Honest mistake there. Minato is most definitely the older brother. And actually, the Persona Alice is the whole reason I named her that. I don't know if I'll make a one-shot about that, since the time when he got Alice was in the three year separation. But I'll just say he was very curious as to why she called herself that when he got the actual Persona. :3

So, sorry I ruined the fun on the hot spring execution. Expect a funny response from Junpei in the next chapter. Maybe I rushed the fighting bits here, since I'm very eager to get to the part where Alice reveals you-know-what for Persona 3 fans. Shit is definitely going down after that. Hehe...

Anyways, please review, and no flames!


	7. Finding the Truth

_20/11/09 Morning_

Welp, it was finally time to leave Kyoto behind and go back to Iwatodai. But if there was one interesting thing I saw today, it would be that capped teen sitting on the seat. "So. Junpei. How'd it go?" I deadpanned at that moment. We knew how this was going to end. Aki and Shinji passed by too, and they seemed to be pretty curious too. "I…I don't want to talk about it." His face fell in defeat.

"Uhuh. We all knew how it was going to end." Shinji muttered, and it was at this moment that Yukari, Fuuka, Aigis and Alice came by. Yukari ignored him, though we could all feel the killer intent emanating from her. Fuuka disregarded him as well, walking past us very quickly. Aigis looked coldly at the capped teen, and proceeded to walk on after the two obviously ruffled girls. Alice regarded Junpei with a smile, and it pretty much said that she thought his attempt was amusing. From this I see Junpei didn't get an opportunity to glimpse. Mitsuru strode past us with all haste, and the killer attempted wasn't a shroud of malignant energy. She was practically drenching everyone that came close to her with it.

"Remind me never to try this again…" The defeated capped teen stood up groggily and walked towards the exit. Aki shrugged, and we followed after him after a few moments.

_02/12/09 Late Night_

December is my favourite month of the year. Yeah, completely off-topic, but I'm getting a huge freaking wracking in my head, and I'm questioning my ability to think during moments of insanity. "Minako! Moonlight Bridge, now!" She burst into the bedroom already loaded up with our weapons. "I know what you mean!" She handed me my arsenal and continued with, "We have to pull outta here now!"

With the purring of Pale Rider signalling the beginning of our ride, we set off for that accursed bridge with the wind whistling an ungodly, dare I say, melody, in my ears. We finally stopped. And everything was coming back to me in a flash.

"Fuck."

I uttered, and I immediately began running to the scene between Alice and Aigis. Minako followed after, and several other footsteps that I could only discern to be SEES from the number and the padding of Koromaru's paws came shortly after. "Stop!" Aigis began charging towards Alice once more with her battered body, and I managed to catch her in her rush, with my metal arm taking the brunt of the force. "Minato…!" Aigis looked up at me with worry. "Please, stop…" She broke away from my grip, stepping back cautiously.

I turned to face Alice. She stared at me with widened eyes. "Minato…"

I strode towards her, ignoring the cries of SEES behind me. "Alice…" The energy source I was sensing… it was definitely her. "…I'm sorry..." Alice collapsed into my arms, and I wasn't sure how to react.

She remembered. Once more. No doubt whatever it was made her remember whatever it was she was supposed to do.

"We have to go back." I mumbled to myself.

We arrived back at the antique shop, Alice and SEES members in tow.

Alice's eyes fluttered open as she was laid down in a chair.

"Minato…" She looked around to see all the SEES members facing her. "You guys…"

"Please…" Mitsuru began, with a soft tone. "Can you explain what happened?" Alice nodded slowly. "I'm… I'm the Appriser. The bringer of the Fall." Her hands were trembling visibly, and I knew it was a sign that she was trying to hold something back; tears. Mitsuru's eyes widened. "You're the…?" Mitsuru tried to calm herself down. "Can you tell us what exactly the end entails?"

"Alright…" Alice sighed. "I'm the Appriser, bringer of the Fall. I'm the avatar of the Primordial Being, Nyx. Nyx is a powerful goddess, who will bring about the Fall as she is summoned from the top of Tartarus. Once she comes down upon us, everything in this world as we know it… will die."

Shinji bit his lip, and Aki and Yukari were trying to sink the information in. Mitsuru kept her face neutral, but her façade was beginning to break. Junpei looked extremely disheartened, which was unusual for the capped teen. Aigis and Koromaru looked down, with the latter letting out a small whimper. It was just his luck that he can understand human speech. Fuuka was definitely looking lost for words.

Minako had a face which reminded me of the day that I left. And I was pretty sure I was going into cardiac arrest. The chains that were apparently still binding me to Alice were squeezing it so tightly, and it was unlike anything that I had ever felt. As should be natural form that pain, I was brought down onto my knees, and I was about ready to collapse. Alice's eyes widened, but the constricting metal wasn't letting up any. In fact, it was getting worse. "Minato!" Mitsuru and Minako bent to my side, and tried to sit me up.

"Alice… This isn't…" Blood was steadily being squeezed out, and I had to cough some of it out. "..your fault…" Alice was visibly alarmed, and the taut chain loosened a little, just so that it didn't feel like I was going to die any minute. I gasped out and quickly brought more air into my lungs. "Don't blame yourself for that…" Alice had a wry smile on. "But, I can't stop." She laughed a laugh that wasn't filled with any happiness. It was a laugh about as dry and saddened as Orpheus himself after he lost Eurydice. "Being bound to Death… truly heart-wrenching."

I deadpanned at her, and everyone was looking very confused. "No kidding." Damn bad pun. I managed to stand up as some of the pain faded away. "The Shadows that we fought… We know what they are, and why they're here, but where were they coming from now?" Minako asked. "From your big brother." The black-haired girl replied.

I managed flinch at that one. Some disaster right? "How can we stop the Fall?" Aki finally popped the question. "You can't! The only way to stop the Fall is to beat Nyx, and…" She looked around at everyone's curious faces which also had worry mixed in. "She's immortal! Invincible! She's a freaking god of Death itself…" Alice finished her spiel. She eyed me worriedly. "But, we have to fight!" Shinjiro burst out, being silent for almost the whole conversation. "I… want to live!" Everyone nodded in unison at that.

Alice looked around and her face creased into a small smile. "If only more people were like you… The Fall could have been prevented." She stood up. "Well… I still haven't explained the connection between me and Minato."

Minako tensed up as she realised now what she was talking about. "On that night, ten years ago, I fought against Aigis, and she was hopelessly out matched. Desperately, she pulled drastic measures, a last resort." Aigis looked down at the floor. "She sealed Death inside a certain blue-haired boy who was trying to protect his red-haired imoto." Minako looked down this time. Junpei was getting worked up as well, and looked about ready to burst into a series of profanities.

"I remember those words of his as he formed that contract with me just as I was being sealed within him…" She giggled a little bit. "If it means Minako won't die… Honestly, sometimes you're too selfless for your own good." Minako snapped to attention at her words and looked at me with that mixture of curiosity and worry. I couldn't help but sneak in a low chuckle. "And just before that I was thinking," Everyone turned to me. "... It wouldn't hurt anyone else. That was just after Aigis began the sealing. Remember?"

Alice giggled at that one. Junpei was visibly relaxed now. No more profanities for me. "Like I said." Alice commented. "And for your worries Aigis…" Aigis looked up. "Remember what I told you at the beach?" Aigis' eyes widened. "You and Death are friends." Now everyone was looking between Alice and I frantically, trying to figure out how exactly we were friends at all.

It was some night, and after that, Alice could see we weren't budging on the part where we were going to face Nyx, so she told us what we had to do to be able to face Nyx. "January 31st. We have to remember that date." Yukari stated, and all the SEES members agreed. "It's the Battle for Everyone's Souls." I muttered under my breath. One last song that the Velvet Room gave me. I didn't know what it was for, but now I understood. This was the battle for everyone's lives here. Life itself was at stake.

With that agreement, Alice left with a smile painted on her face. "I'll see all you guys later. And merry Christmas and happy new year in advance."

The chains around my heart were barely felt, and I knew that this would be the last time I would be able to see Alice. Not Death. Alice.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Death and Fortune Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Blackwand and the Possible Sword.**

So this is goodbye now. I chuckled as she gave one final V-sign before leaving through the doors.

"Guys. We fight for the future of the world." I said with a small smile.

"Aww hell yeah!" Junpei nudged his cap and I knew he flaring up with determination.

"I don't want to lose any of my new friends…" Fuuka timidly said, but we could tell that this knowledge of the end wasn't going to get her down.

"I don't want to lose anything that I've gained." Mitsuru eyed me especially, and I could feel the care that she gave for each one of us.

"We're not losing here!" Aki shouted with a smirk, and he was definitely intent on using all his power for this cause.

"Shit's gonna hit the fan, but this isn't over." Shinji said with a nod and one of his rare and knowing smiles.

"We won't stop fighting for sure!" Yukari was unusually fired up and it was clear that her choice was made.

"Well then… I can't stop either." Aigis stood up, and I could tell the she was going to pull through on this one.

Koromaru gave a yip, but we all knew that he would do everything he can to help.

"We'll do this, with everything we've got for sure!" Minako's outburst instilled us with hope, like the star she was.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Fool Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Esperacchius.**

That Fool Social link I had been nurturing finally came through for me…

**Thou hast established a link with the Judgement Arcana…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when fusing Weapons and Personae of the Judgement Arcana…**

Not what I was expecting.

_22/12/09 After School_

Top marks on test again, and I don't really care. But I got some nice upgrades for my Persona from Mitsuru out of the deal.

_31/12/09 After School_

We were called to the dorms today to discuss our course of action regarding Nyx, but that was due to be interrupted by a group of unwelcome guests.

"Which one of you is Arisato Minato?"

I stood up with my hands up in the air, and everyone was begging for me to back away. "I am." The detective with unruly brown hair grinned, and proceeded to call out my charges.

"Alrighty! Arisato Minato, you are under arrest for crimes of theft, disturbance of private property," No doubt referring to the monorails and the military base interference. "… and multiple instances of first degree murder." My eyes widened, and I couldn't help but look back at Minako. Her expression was a mix of sadness and confusion, but not one of anger. I looked back at the detective with the police officers and without resistance put my hands down in front of me.

The detective was pleasantly surprised at my easy surrender, and clacked the steel handcuffs around my wrists. I didn't have anything to say to this, or my friends. Guess this was my Tower huh? "Ja ne." I called out, and I left with the officers. I could hear the clicking of heels and the squeaking of sport shoes which I could only recognise as Mitsuru and Minako. "Minato!" Mitsuru screamed out, and Minako followed with, "Onii-chan!"

What have I done?

_Evening_

I was put in detention, after answering the detective's questions. I found that his last name was Adachi, but that was it. They could pin me on everything but the killings for certain, since there wasn't much proof on that. Like they would believe my method of killing thugs anyway.

**Master?**

Huh? Orpheus?

**Oh good, you remember me.**

What's up Feo?

**I would like to discuss something with you since that blue butterfly has contacted me. This is very important, and I think it would be in your best interest.**

Come on Feo. What is it?

**Philemon says that you have an opportunity to become even stronger than you are now. And it isn't in the usual way either.**

I stayed silent for his explanation.

**The blue butterfly has informed me that we of your mind are to take you to a certain realm to be able to gain power. The god's plain.**

God's plain?

**Yes. Apparently, you are to defeat as many of the gods and goddesses to gather their power. **

Gaining a god's power eh? To defeat a god… I need the power of a god. Or even greater.

**That is right, Master. You are to go through each of the factions, and defeat each of the main heads. The current Main Heads are Izanagi of the Japanese faction, Lucifer of the Chaos faction, Black Frost of the Neutrality faction, Vishnu of the Hindu faction, Odin of the Norse faction, Zeus of the Greek faction, Jupiter of the Roman faction and of course, YHVH of the Law faction.**

That's a lot to go through. And I don't think this is going to be easy.

**We already know that, but remember that I'm always by your side…**

I couldn't help but place a hand on my metal arm, and I chuckled. No kidding, Feo.

**HEY! DON'T FORGET ME! Master of Death!**

Yes, we all hear you Thanatos. But thanks for the support.

**Heh. Anytime boss.**

How do I get there?

**I'll lead you there.**

Ok Feo. I trust you on this.

**Of course, Master. It would be prudent for you to go to sleep when you are ready.**

It was approaching the late night, so I decided to do what Orpheus asked, and immediately, my mind felt it being whisked away to some unknown world.

A world that felt wholly unfamiliar, but at least, not uncomfortable. I looked around, and I spied on many shrines and traditional gates. This had to be the Japanese faction.

**For this challenge, we have to work our way up to the clouds. There, Izanagi awaits your arrival. No doubt he already feels your presence here.**

Alright. I've got some climbing to do.

I stared at the base of the stairs which plateaued at certain points, probably to allow for battle space, and ran my eyes up to the top, where I could barely make out some kind of shrine. From there, I recognised glints of light which also flattened at certain places, which led up to the curtain of grey clouds, where no doubt the creator of Japan was waiting.

Izanagi.

_A few hours later…_

I finally worked my way up to the shrine at the top of the mountain after cutting through several raiju, tanuki, kyuubi and tengu. After which I was working on defeating some of the minor gods and demons, and those took a while, I tell you. Damn you Tsuchikage!

The flight of stairs which seemed to be made of light led up to other gods and demons like Yamata-no-Orochi and Amaterasu, Susanoo Tsukuyomi and you know, you get the drill.

Amaterasu, Susanoo and Tsukuyomi were especially tough, as they were taking me on as a team, and damn did they cooperate.

Amaterasu was putting her white wolf form to good use as enhanced manoeuvrability, all the while shooting solar-charged blasts of fire at me.

Susanoo was having fun throwing mini storms at me. This meant, water, ice, lightning and wind. All in one.

Tsukuyomi was good at flashing blasts of dark and light energy at me, while also being switched into a sword which either Amaterasu or Susanoo used.

One last Ragnarok at the team, and they were finally defeated.

"You defeated us soundly, string master…" The pale figure with a white metallic cape picked herself off the ground, barely being able to stand, as she no longer had any power to keep floating like she was doing for about half the fight. I was that close to smashing my head into the mountains because of that. "Now, you may pass…"

Amaterasu opened the light barrier that was blocking the way up the stairs.

"You better not lose, yo! I'd be mighty ashamed if you lost against daddy-o." The storm god and trickster pulled a shit eating grin at me. "Fist bump yo!" The fiery haired god pulled out his black gloved hands into a fist in front of him. "Whatever you say…" I jumped up to meet his hand, and he gave me a thumbs up as I pulled out of the bump.

"Hmph. You better not lose. Do that, and I'm transporting you to Yomotsu Hirasaka. And then you'll have to meet mum." I paled slightly at Tsukuyomi's threat. "But in all seriousness, good luck. You'll need it." The navy blue samurai-looking god tacked on.

"Ok. I'll see you guys whenever." Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi nodded, but Susanoo let out a huge 'whoop' which Amaterasu snickered at. Which turned into a full-blown laughing fit. If this was anime, I would be sweat dropping so bad right now.

I ran up the glassy flight of stairs, to reach the clouds where the white sword wielding creator of Japan was waiting for me. "Welcome, Minato." The god was about the same size as me, which was strange since Amaterasu and her brothers were pretty big compared to me. "So, you're Izanagi…"

I moved closer to meet him, and he drew his sword against my neck, which I blocked with Possible Sword. "You are most definitely skilled to have gotten past my children… Very well."

The white deity jumped back, leaving a large amount of space between us. "Come." I readied Possible, and soon, our weapons clashed. I came face to face with Izanagi, and we zipped about the clouds, leaving orange sparks as we came in contact, and metal met metal.

"Pretty strong huh?" I commented during one bout.

"Indeed, but we haven't even gotten truly started." Izanagi pointed out in the following round.

"Why don't we shake it up a bit then?" I grinned, as I pulled my blade back, and readied one of its properties. I focused on Izanagi as we continued meeting our swords, and the power went off in a flurry of slashes on the deity. To my delight, I was the one who drew first blood in this fight. I laughed to myself. Stored power from the future is win.

"Impressive." Izanagi was dripping gold blood. True ichor. Ichor, said to be the blood of a god. This was it. "That won't be enough."

"Narukami!" Multiple bolts of lightning swirled around in the sky before dropping down on the cumulus clouds below. I dodged as many of the bolts of lightning as I could, but I was inevitably hit by one of the bolts of electricity.

It was unlike any Ziodyne I had ever taken a hit from, and I had to conclude that Narukami was an amped up version of the wicked lightning attack that was Thunder Reign. Fortunately, it didn't Shock for sure like Thunder Reign.

"Shit!" I was getting scorched from the electricity, and it just wasn't letting up. I managed to open one of my eyes to look at Izanagi who was floating across from me. I hastily switched to Odin in my mind, and the bolts were doing more bad to Izanagi this time as they were being absorbed.

I pulled a grin, and retaliated with a Panta Rhei from my sword. Blasts of pressurised wind shot across to the white samurai, and he was able to dodge the first of them with ease. The second was a different story.

The second blade of wind wasn't pressurised this time, and it was in the form of a huge gale that blew him back and out of guard. The third and last blade of wind was a slice like the first, and this time, the white deity wasn't able to get out of the way of this one.

"Fury of Yasogami!" The samurai glared at me, and a sudden increase in killing intent was released. Slashes came on me from above, and they beat me down into the clouds with such force that I was forced out of the white curtain.

I growled to no-one in particular, but geez, I was frustrated! "Thanatos!" The coffin caped death god came to my aid with a low chuckle, and while I rode on top of him, we shot right up into the clouds once more. "Hah! Did the blade go snicker-snack!?" Thanatos came forth with a Vorpal Blade attack, cutting Izanagi all over.

I nodded to Thanatos, who then disappeared in blue light, leaving me to land safely on the surface of the cumulus clouds. "…" Izanagi stared me down, and gathered a cold power at the centre of his two-bladed sword. Bufudyne no doubt.

"Bufudyne!" The ice began to pelt and slash at me, but I forced them back with a Panta Rhei which was formed in a tornado. The viciously spinning tornado carried back the shards of ice in a mini-blizzard, and Izanagi wasn't really expecting that. But it seemed he got an idea from what I just did.

"Ziodyne!" An intense bolt of lightning struck the whirlwind, forcing it back towards me. The tornado was not only forced back, but it also absorbed the electrical magic within it. Is this how you're going to play it?

"Fine! Aquedyne!" I pushed Neptune to the forefront of my mind, and stormy grey waters was soon pushing the Panta Rhei back with the pressurised water now also within the wind's clutches.

"Damn it to Yomotsu Hirasaka, Magnadyne!" The white deity cursed, and bits of earth were summoned in front of the sword, now forcing the whirlwind of magic back, with rubble flying inside the thing.

"Oh yeah!? Die For Me!" Thanatos was pushed out, and the assortment of bloodied weapons and dark energy also joined the fray of the mess of magic that was hurtling towards me. This was pushed back too.

"Tch! Samsara!" Golden talismans like all the other bits of magic were combined, and pushed the maelstrom back.

It's like playing a messed up game of ping pong or something! "Agidyne!"

"Freildyne!"

Back and forth… "Megidolaon!"

"Kuro Ikazuchi!"

"Agneyastra!"

"Oho Ikazuchi!"

"You're pissing me off! Armageddon!" I summoned Helel and Satan and…

There was nothing Izanagi could do but watch. He fell towards the clouds as he was forced out of the explosion of magic energy, and he wasn't showing any signs of stopping.

"Urgh… Thanatos!" I somehow forced the death god out, and he swooped down to Izanagi, carrying him back up to cloud level.

I walked over to Izanagi, who was beginning to sit up. He was in no shape to fight. Come to think of it, neither was I. I had no choice, and I collapsed next to him.

"Why…" He sat up fully. "Why did you save me?" He looked at me curiously, and his eyes weren't the decaying yellow they were before. They were pale blue, kinda like mine.

"Well… It's just my nature. I find something broken, I fix it, with no concern for myself." I smiled up at the white samurai.

"I think… I might've gotten lost on the way." He looked down at me, and I could almost make out a smile through his white mask. "I may be one of the better head gods in demonic society, but… I must have just lost it after my wife was lost to darkness. It's been like that for a while now." He held out his hand to me, and I managed to take his outstretched hand.

"Aren't we all like that? We're not so different, Izanagi-no-Okami." I smiled to myself, and I could hear Thanatos and Orpheus chuckling. "After I lost my mum, and almost everything else that was important, I fell into darkness too. But, unlike you Izanagi, I'm still lost." He nodded. "Thanks to Philemon's request, I have to give you some power…" He concentrated for a while, and did an eye-smile. "This is perfect for one trying to find their way." He summoned a gold and blue orb into his hand. He placed his hand on my chest, and I instantly felt refreshed, and that power surged through me. I couldn't get a sense of what it was, but it was comforting to say the least.

"What is this?" I turned to him with a questioning gaze.

"Myriad Truths. You can see through any lie… See things for what they are. It is a strictly pure power… Perhaps, you can reach for the truth that everyone so seeks." He turned around, and his coat billowed out. The coat was turning steadily from white to black, passing through the gradients of grey.

"What are you doing?" I asked with a grin. "I have some preparing to do. Perhaps… you have just made a new Fool of me." He gave me another eye-smile, and he zipped away in a flash of lightning.

I couldn't help but grin at this. "A new Fool, huh?"

**I think he may mean… he's going to lend his powers to the human world now, just as us other gods and beings have volunteered to help you. As a Persona.**

Feo. Does that mean…

**Perhaps. No… It's almost certain.**

The world's never done with its troubles is it?

**No. But, let's overturn this crisis first.**

Yup. To the next faction please.

**Mmhm. Next faction is… we're going to the Norse faction next.**

'Kay. Wouldn't mind getting in some action with Odin.

Feo chuckled a bit, and the old Japanese world that I once fought through disappeared in a swirl of light. It took a few minutes, but we finally arrived at the Norse Faction.

"Wha…?" I was at a loss for words as I looked around the grand hall. There is only one kind of hall I know of in Norse mythology, and it's Valhalla.

There were many Valkyries and other warriors that I didn't know about partying and generally, getting drunk off their asses.

**Ah yes, the hall of warriors is always exciting.**

I'm sure Feo.

A crow flew over my head, and it glided down in circles until it landed on my shoulder.

"Ah. You must be Minato. Master Odin awaits your arrival. But I fear he may be a little inebriated at the moment." The crow cawed quietly, and continued, "You should try knocking out all the other warriors out too. Hopefully some things will calm down around here for once." I nodded and the crow left off my shoulder.

Huh. That was strange.

**Because you haven't seen talking crows before. Remember Yatagarasu?**

Oh. Yeah, that one had three legs. Weird.

Anyways, I better get started. I started out by knocking out most of the Amazonians and then proceeding to take on the Valkyries. They were knocked off their high horses, literally, and next were just some general other main warriors that I didn't really know about. Those were easy as heck. Some warriors.

Then I saw Thor was also joining in on the fun. No lightning for me I guess.

"Yo Thor." The hammer-wielding god turned to face me, and he grinned. "Ah. Minato. Care for a match? These idiots don't seem to be any good of a match for me."

"I'll bite, I suppose." I drew Possible again, and readied myself for an onslaught of hammer strikes as the white haired warrior charged at me.

His hammer, Mjolnir clashed against my sword throwing orange sparks around. We retaliated, blow for blow several times, but this next time, I stored a Magnadyne and the slight electrical current that the hammer was giving off amplified, and Earth and Electricity clashed.

At this moment I wasn't sure to what to think of the fight I was having against Thor. I'm not usually an advocate to violence, regardless of the action that I took against the thugs that went against okaa-san.

Not the time right now! From the stored power of Magnadayne, earth from beneath formed spikes that almost shot up into Thor's armour, however the electricity that was amplifying at that moment made the rock crumble into dust as they made contact.

Thor may have been wearing a mask over his mouth, but I could tell he was grinning.

"Vicious Strike!" Thor shouted, and his hammer hurtled towards me as it spun wildly. I managed to block the blow back with a strong Panta Rhei blade, and Thor wasn't really expecting this. However, under his mask I could tell there was another one of those grins, and I wasn't really expecting him to actually retract the hammer back to himself, making it land safely in his gloved hands. The hammer he retrieved, he used to smash the wind blade into the ground.

"Deathbound!" Waves of black and red Slash energy were fired off from his hammer at me and I knew I had to be extra careful as Deathbound slashes were prone to make critical hits when you don't expect them to.

I jumped out of the way of the Slash damage, but on the last jump, I summoned Thanatos and jumped onto his coffin lids. I grinned as I commanded the master of the Death Arcana to fire several Die for Me! Spells at Thor.

The weapons and waves of Dark energy were dodged, but only so many of those can be dodged before you inevitably get hit by one of the purple orbs or bloodied weapons.

"Brave Blade!" Thanatos crashed against Mjolnir with his blade, and I knew it was my chance to jump off his back, and…

At the very moment I had finished charging this attack, Thanatos disappeared to his surprise and he wasn't ready for the blast of Almighty energy that I gave him in close range.

The Megidolaon exploded in a flurry of purple and gold light, and Thor was defeated, with no more energy to fight.

"Minato…" Thor only barely managed to stand up, and he crossed his arms. "You've grown pretty strong. But I fear this is where the gate crashing comes in…"

"Haha! Fools, what made you think I would stay down!?" The winged god and jotunn crashed through the glass walls into Valhalla, and stared me down as he came in. "Ok ok, so I'm supposed to fight you Minato."

I really wondered how this fight was going to play out. I couldn't think of this fight as being the straight-forward one that was Thor's and Izanagi's, since Loki was indeed a trickster.

I sheathed the current blade, and drew Brisingr.

"Playing to my one of my weaknesses I see." The trickster had one of those shit-eating grins on, and I couldn't help but retort with, "Wouldn't that be the most obvious thing to do?" As if that grin couldn't get any wider, geez. "Well, yes. But how would that matter if you can't catch me?"

He zipped towards me in a flurry of grey and black, and fired snowy blizzards at me from the back. I returned the blizzard with a Ragnarok from Brisingr, and of course, the ice and snow was melted.

"Garudyne!" Loki released blades of wind like I did with my Panta Rheis, to which I retaliated with slashes of my sword. The flames on the sky blue blade grew in size when the wind hit, and I fired those growing embers as an Agidyne.

"Have an Aquedyne!" The shots of pressurised water broke through the fire and snuffed them out easily. "Garudyne!" I slashed back with the slightly weaker blades of wind, when compared to Panta Rhei, but they were enough to disperse the water.

I silently cast a Makarakarn for the inevitable and upcoming Magic attack that was coming, and yup. The Aquedyne he fired next bounced back with an increased factor in speed that he couldn't dodge.

The golden mirror broke apart into pieces of glass and I was free to attack Loki with Brisingr's Ragnarok spell. Which was of course, a weakness.

Loki was seared by the incoming white-hot fireballs and there wasn't any chance that he was getting up from that. Loki was a frail magic user after all. He only barely managed to stand up one again like Thor and Izanagi, and he still had that creepy grin of his on. "Well done. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." At the last sentence, he disappeared in a blizzard. I looked over at Thor.

"Awesome show. I think my father should be sobered up by now." I nodded at the master of the Chariot Arcana, and headed towards the back of the hall, where the one-eyed Norse god waited in his throne.

"So you managed to defeat the both of them, eh?" I nodded, and his face broke into a grin. "I see. Well, let's get started." He readied his spear, Gungnir and charged it with what I recognised to be Ziodyne. Wait. I see? But he only has one eye…Damn puns when I don't really need them right now!

I drew Brisngr in response, knowing that because I like using Odin for one of his unique skill, Thunder Reign he was indeed weak to fire.

The bolt he was charging was promptly thrown at me as it finished charging, and I barely managed to jump out of the way of the wicked lightning strike.

"Surt!" I summoned the swarthy one and he released a series of yellow fireballs which combined with the white Ragnarok attack to create a near unstoppable onslaught of destruction.

"Garudyne." Odin swung Gungnir around and a vortex of air absorbed the oxygen that fuelled the flames. "Oh you sneaky bastard." He chuckled a little bit, and during that time I charged towards him, my sword at the ready. He expertly used his spear to block it, but I had another idea as he was focused on pushing my rush back.

I channelled a Ragnarok spell through my Orpheus and Thanatos made arm, and there we go.

The blasts of white hot fire hit him square in the stomach, and he coughed out gold ichor in response. "You did well!" He started laughing, but after his little outburst in laughter, he turned to me with an intense stare. "But, let's take this somewhere else."

To my surprise, the walls of Valhalla contorted and distorted into a—HOLY SHIT, WHY AM I SO HIGH UP!?

I hastily summoned Thanatos and landed on his coffin lids. I have to find a better mode of transport sometime.

**Yeah. You're freaking heavy, you know that? **

Thanks for the sentiments, Thanatos.

Odin was grinning like mad, but he wasn't attacking. He was probably waiting for me to observe my surroundings. And we are up high in the sky, above a city. I noticed a tower of some sort, and I sensed some kind of power emanating from it. I looked around and holy what the heck is that dragon?

It was a white and purple dragon. 'Nuff said.

I looked at Odin, waiting for an explanation. "Ah yes… We are here in Tokyo, a few years in the future." In the future? "This isn't really it, but this is what it will look like in a few years. Unfortunately for you humans." Mind shatter. "Rules are, what the people are doing down there will affect our fight, but other things that we do to buildings and such will not actually happen." My eyebrow quirked. So, he's implying that what they are doing down there, whatever it is, is going to be dangerous during our fight.

"Alright. Now that I've got that ironed out…" He readied Gungnir once more. "Bufudyne!" He spun his spear in a similar fashion to Izanagi when he spun his sword, and balls of ice began to try and pelt down on me, but I managed to avoid them with help of Thanatos skilfully cutting his way through the ice as he zipped around.

The flashes of black ended when Odin managed to score a hit on the god of Death with Gungnir while he didn't notice, sending us, or me, hurtling towards the building where the purple dragon was coiled around. The force sent me towards the ceiling of the building, but no crater was made. I looked around and why are there people up here? And that looks like a huge alien thingymabobber.

The one thing that caught my attention the most was the boy in a white coat with a hoodie that had rabbit ear-like appendages attached to it. Wonder why he grabbed my attention? I heard him shout out Agidyne at the equally purple alien, and the concrete of the buildings exploded, making rubble fly through the air.

I quickly summoned Thanatos once more, and rushed towards Odin, since I knew that some of the hard pieces of rock were indeed flying towards him. The one-eyed god spun Gungnir, readying another spell.

"Ziodyne." The bolts of electricity stopped the rubble in mid-air, until they finally crumbled into dust. Thanatos and I were still approaching, and he looked about ready to impale me with his spear if we came close enough without a plan. Fine then.

I'll go in without one.

I could practically feel Thanatos with a smirk, and he readied his sword. He swung.

The two metals collided, and Odin was busy trying to push the master of Death back with gritted teeth. I had to pull a grin at this.

"Morning Star!" I summoned Helel to take Thanatos' place, and the seraph threw the glowing ball of light down on Odin. He obviously wasn't done, but he was damaged by the burning of extremely strong Almighty magic.

The smirk I was donning was soon wiped off as the surroundings changed once more, swirling around to reveal Tokyo again; the Shinjuku area specifically. No purple dragon though.

"Where now?" I asked as I summoned Thanatos to stop me from falling, and he caught me in his white gloved hands. I thanked him mentally, and jumped onto his sepulchral coffins. Odin obliged me with, "This is Tokyo in the future as well, but some time before the last scene I showed you."

This Tokyo wasn't destroyed per se like it was before, but something was definitely off. Like those creatures off in the distance that were currently accompanying some people… Oh hey, that guys looks a lot like me. That blue-haired boy was wearing a black coat, and I could sense intense power coming from his eye.

He was rising up into the sky in a red light, and was joined with a silver-haired man in traditional green and black clothing. Not only were those strange creatures following them, but white winged beings were charging at them. Time to put this to use.

Knowing Odin, he probably wouldn't follow me because of the obvious threat there. Well, if he won't go himself, then… Thanatos and I are just going to take him for a long ride.

With that, we put most of our efforts into speed, and it was even easier to catch Odin off-guard since he was hit with that Morning Star attack. We swooped behind him, and the Death god threw the one-eyed chief of the Norse gods into the fray of the red light.

He was being battered by the ceaseless attacks that were being unleashed by the angels against the rising creatures until he was thrown out of the skirmish by a Zandyne.

With that blessing we charged towards Odin, and without any chance to guard because of the overwhelming momentum of gravity, I pushed a final move into his chest: Dark Verdict.

The shots of Dark Energy pierced into him, and he was beat down into the ground of… Valhalla? It seems that he could no longer hold the dimensional shift…

Odin was beaten black and blue by the exclusive Dark move that Thanatos granted me, and it was no surprise that he couldn't stand up to it. I was nearly out of SP, but no SP exhaustion, thankfully.

Odin finally managed to struggle up to his feet using his spear as a crutch. "You were exemplary…" He wiped off the gold ichor that was flowing form his mouth, probably as a result of that powerful spell that I just pulled.

"As per the agreement…" He shakily lifted up his free hand, and a pale blue orb fell into his open palm. "This is your new power." He pushed the orb into my chest, and I felt its strength flowing through me. Yay, SP restored.

"What is this one?" I threw a glance at Thanatos, silently telling him to disperse. He obliged with a nod, and disappeared into a blue haze.

Odin smirked. "This is a copy of the infinite knowledge I was granted when I went through those… episodes. You know when I hung myself on the world tree, Yggdrassil?" I chuckled a bit at that. Odin always liked to tell me how much of a moron he was when it came to this stuff. As a Persona anyway.

"Yes you masochistic bastard." I threw a smirk, and his face contorted into one of mock hurt. "Sir, you wound me."

"Haven't I already?" As if my smile couldn't get any wider.

He nodded with a satisfied smile. "You set a good example for those 'warriors' who seat themselves here, drinking their time away here. They fight, and think they've earned every right to stop." He clutched the bridge of his nose. "I continue to fight. As a Persona. That I take pleasure in."

My visible eyebrow arched a little. "You take pleasure in fighting?"

"Well… not so much as Thor…" He glanced over to his son who was good as new and challenging everyone in the hall again. "But, it's just something. Even I know that our world's time is limited. I have to find pleasure in it somewhere."

Mind shatter. I nodded, somewhat dumbly, and Odin turned away with a smirk and walked away to his throne.

Feo, ready to go?

**Yes. Our next stop… is the Neutrality Faction.**

Oh this is gonna be good.

* * *

AN: YAY for favourites and reviews have come! In all seriousness, thank you for them, and I appreciate them. Next chapter should be the last of this arc, and I try to make the remaining fights as interesting as possible. Lucy, Black Frost and YHVH are next!

I wonder, this chapter and the next are gonna be super battle heavy… If that's okay with you guys. And I'm sticking to Minato's perspective all the time, so I'm not going to randomly check on Minako and stuff. Though that has gotten me an idea. MWAHAHA... I'll find a reprieve somehow... XD

Sacchin: Well, sometime I've gotta put up a chapter that explains pretty much ALL the things he changed, since I'm implying the things that he did change throughout the story. STREGA is most definitely one of those things.

Please review, and no flames!


	8. Escape

"Looks like we're finally here." I glanced around my surroundings, and it was actually kinda pretty, seeing all the rising buildings that seemed to so mark this city. Right. I have to find Black Frost. If he's the head of this place, he must have been working hard on it, considering how intricate and dare I say, civilised the place looked.

I summoned Thanatos, and took to the skies so that I could get a better grasp of the city, looking out for any particularly conspicuous buildings. It was just a few minutes after I did this, did I find a striking, and wide building. I beckoned the god of death to dive down into the plaza that I was spying in front of the structure.

Without much fuss, I jumped off his back and recalled him to the recesses of my mind. To be sure, the building in front looked kinda like a Parthenon and was grand in scale. The structure appeared to be made from polished white marble, and some of equally white tiles on the floor were covered with a generously blue mat that led into the entrance to the building.

I breathed slowly out, and steeled myself for whatever challenge as I went in. The inside possessed the same grandeur as the outside. There were passages to many doors, and I probably would have gotten lost if not for the dark coloured Jack Frost that emerged from the biggest doors. "You must be Minato." Black Frost grinned mischievously and flicked his cape. "You must be Black Frost I presume."

The darkened Jack Frost nodded, still donning his wide as hell smile. "Yes. Well… You're probably used to all the fights that were given to you before?" I nodded, wondering where he was going with this. "I have no interest in procuring myself some bruises here, when I can give you a different challenge." My eyebrow arched at that. I waved my hand waiting for his explanation, and he chuckled at that. "I see you're a smart one. I'll give you a psychological battle." I had to stop myself from flinching at his words.

"A god can't only have brawn on his side. You know that." Black Frost nodded to himself as I agreed. "That's why most of the gods in this world are not only powerful in bulk, but in a mental sense as well." Black Frost sighed as if he remembering something unpleasant. "When can we start?" I asked curiously.

"Right now. I'll ask some questions, and you have to try and give an answer. I'll see whether they hold enough water." I nodded, cautiously.

"What is the answer to life?" Black Frost grinned knowing that I had been caught off guard by that out there question, to which I didn't have much of an answer to myself.

Dammit. Well…

I guess I have a few.

"My answer to life…" I looked down at the ground. "… I have to protect everyone, even at the cost of my life." I looked at Black Frost, who had a serious face on, contrasting the playful smile he was giving me earlier. "I see…"

He folded his arms. "What is justice?"

I flinched again, and I could see he knew that this was a question that I would have trouble answering too.

But, I don't have a sense of justice like everyone else. I wouldn't know how to answer that. Justice is contradictory. It is, and there is no denying it.

The end justifies the means? What about if you have to kill people to get to your goal? How many people would be hurt if you went through with the plan?

Want to get through to a problem with a peaceful means? What if you can't achieve that goal without getting your hands dirty?

"Justice is one big contradiction and there's no going around that. There is no such thing as justice, but what you think is right."

Black Frost looked intrigued, but had a small smile on. He nodded a little and asked his next question. "Is equality a lost cause?"

That one was quite obvious to me, if nobody else got it. "Yes. It is." I sighed. "People are born naturally with individual skills intact. That isn't something you can control. They can all be equal in some things, but…" I looked down at the floor again. "Some people are just lucky."

Black Frost nodded. "Is that fair, or unfair?"

"When man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate. Sure it's unfair, but I can't see how that's a bad thing sometimes. Individuality makes people greater in some things and worse in others. If you can find others to level the playing field… Nothing of the fact that equality and inequality is unfair can override that." I sighed. "Was I getting off topic?"

Black Frost chuckled. "Ok a little bit, but you stayed in the same general area." Black Frost rubbed his chin. "Is a white lie truly good or bad?"

Only one thing came to my mind in that situation. Omission. The chains around my heart, ever faint tugged slightly, and Alice soon came to mind. I was thinking so hard about my friends at this moment that tears began to escape from my moistening eyes. "You're still hiding the truth from them… right?"

Black Frost's eyes turned stony and his lip buckled. "Is there meaning in life for those that have done injustices, murders and lies?" I could tell this was the last one he was going to ask. I didn't know how or why, but it felt like it.

Is there meaning in life for those that have betrayed, lied, murdered, stolen and have done injustices multiple times? A smirk began to form on my face. "If there's still a meaning of life for me… Then what you asked of me would be a yes."

Black Frost sighed. He must have been holding a lot of things back. "…Well played." He chuckled, mirthlessly at that. "You managed to find answers to all of them." His yellow eyes held a kind of sadness in them that I didn't understand. Nor would I try to. "Here."

As he began floating in place, an orb which flashed between the colours of red and gold fell into his palms. He pushed it into my chest.

"What is this one?" I asked quietly as he landed back on the blue carpet.

"Oh. It's a transportation technique. You can teleport, and you can teleport things to you too." Why do I have the strangest feeling that this is going to be incredibly useful? "Okay. I think your questions actually helped to sort me out, Black Frost." Black Frost flinched, but he soon recovered with a small smile. "I'm glad it helped you… but I was honestly asking questions that I myself wasn't sure the answers to."

My eyebrow quirked at that. "Really…?" I nodded to myself. "Did my answers help?"

"That's only one perspective down, but yes, it did help me." Black Frost grinned. "Now shoo. You've got better things to be doing than talking to a defeated opponent."

"Yet that has happened every fight so far." I muttered to myself, and Black Frost seemed to have caught it. "Well good thing is days here are like minutes in your world. Considering how you got here, you should be getting a good amount of rest there." Black Frost grinned, and started shooing me out again.

I chuckled as I walked out of the building.

Orpheus. I'm ready to go.

**Just a moment, master.**

The gods I defeated next were Vishnu and Jupiter. They weren't all that exciting, but… you make do with what you got. Vishnu was kinda indifferent towards me since I didn't have him as a Persona, but he's a pretty agreeable god. And damned powerful too. I mean what do you do with all those arms!? Jupiter, was quite happy to see me though, since I actually have him as a Persona too. This fight that he gave me involved a lot of fire. And wind too.

In the end, Vishnu gave me the power of pocket dimensions which is probably how he got all those knives and swords onto the field without actually having them in the first place, and Jupiter gave me the power to pack more force into one blow. It may not sound like much, but it's like I could amplify the power of one of my punches, which would normally crack a wall, and make it able to smash into solid diamond easily. Handy, huh?

"I'll see you later, Jupiter." The humungous god boomed, "Good luck with Lucifer and YHVH. You might need it." I replied, "Yup. I'll definitely beat them." Jupi chuckled, and it was at this time, I spoke to Feo.

So, YHVH, Zeus or Lucifer?

**Lucifer first.**

Alright then. Looks like I'm actually going to be facing off against another one of my Personae. Helel.

**Hm, yes. But I must warn you that Lucifer is much more temperamental than our angel friend.**

**Well, thank you for the compliment, master of strings.**

**You're welcome.**

I chuckled to myself. How much is 'much more temperamental?'

**Well… Ok I might be exaggerating. He's actually not that bad of a guy. He's just misunderstood.**

That I can live with. I guess I shouldn't mention YHVH though.

**Unless you want the fusion spell, Judgement on your face, yes.**

Meh. I wouldn't mention him to Lucy any time I'm alive. Let's go.

**Yes Master.**

The spacious world around me turned into a blackened land riddled with towers, fire and rivers of lava. There's only one thing that I'll say here. It's hot.

**No kidding.**

You can be quiet now, Feo.

Anyways…

**I have a message from Lucifer. He wants you to climb to the top of the tower of Babel. That particularly large one in the distance with the darkened top; do you see it?**

I see what you see, and I am definitely looking at it. Well, because I'm a lazy ass… did he have any restrictions on how to climb the tower?

**I see what you're doing, and that is very clever. But yes, there aren't any restrictions, beside no teleporting or flying.**

That'll have to do. I'm not going around like it's Tartarus again.

**That would make me miles more comfortable.**

I grunted in agreement, and quickly charged up power in my feet using Jupiter's newly given power. Then I jumped.

The tower was like a layered cake, but there were more layers, and the circumference at the bottom slowly got smaller. Hm. Cake. I shook my head quickly as I latched onto a ledge which was the top of one of the layers.

I kept on jumping, until I almost crashed into a Lilim. I growled in annoyance as it looked coyly at me, the snake surrounding its body becoming roused by the amount of force that just passed by it. I blinked my right eye, and the sword of the Fool Arcana, Esperacchius appeared in my hand. Oh Vishnu, I'm really digging these new powers.

I jumped and backflipped, swinging my sword in an arc that followed the path of my legs, cutting the seducing demon in half.

Ichor splattered onto me as I rounded, and landed on a slightly higher platform than before. I kept on going for a few more hours, cutting through offending succubi and incubi until I reached the top. I really didn't care for them. "Only in Castlevania…" I muttered to myself.

There at the summit, waited Lucifer. The demonic version of Helel clapped as I reached the top. "Well done, son of man…" He continued his applause for a few more seconds, then finally, "Let us do battle." The blue demon's form distorted, and all that was left was a man in a red suit that looked particularly aristocratic.

I blinked and summoned the Possible Sword into my grip.

In a red flash, he appeared in front of me, giving me a solid punch in the gut, and he contued flashing around me until the stored slashes that I was gathering in the sword of the Fortune Arcana. To my satisfaction, gold Ichor was splashed out of Lucifer's newly acquired wounds. He nodded in acknowledgement at my move, and that's when he tried something that I wasn't expecting.

"Ziodyne!" The red suited man charged forward once again, the electricity screaming out chirping birds as the magic was forced, not into his palms, but down his arm, and by extension, into his fist. This… now that I think about it… It's the Chidori from Naru—

The electrified punch snapped me out of my seemingly destructive thoughts as he punched me in my left shoulder, and had to bare my teeth at that as the lightning coursed it's way around my body. Gathering my concentration I tried the same, and considering the amount of SP control that I had that I could form the spells without summoning my Persona… It worked. I forced an Agidyne down my fist instead, and the fiery punch collided with Lucifer's jaw, leaving a satisfying crack to resound to which I grinned.

He retaliated with both hands covered in a Bufudyne spell, and he got ready to trade fists with me as I myself channelled Garudynes down my arms.

He struck first, grazing his freezing fists against my cheek as I tried to dodge out of the way. Let me try something Akihiko told me about…

Lucifer once again, went for a one-two for my face. The first I dodged, and with the other I dodged again, in a figure eight motion. I began spinning even faster and faster… Dempsey Roll time!

In time, Lucifer wasn't able to dodge my strike plus slash damage punches and ichor began flowing from his busted lip, and his torso was severely beaten down. On my last punch that somehow managed to knock him down, I stopped my spinning as I let the momentum go.

I waited for him stand up. Why? Because I wanted to try something else on him. This time, as he stood up, I saw Magnadynes cover his fists with hard rock. Garudyne probably wouldn't be the best thing. "Tetrakarn!" This was something else that I thought about, and it seemed that it worked. The shards of the silver mirror encased my closed hands into a hard substance that no ordinary Physical attack would be able to break through.

It seems that in exchange for the diamond-like defences, I have to make sure I don't get hit myself in any other places. Fair enough.

Lucifer threw a right straight at me, and it was at this time that I realised he was getting annoyed, if the crunched eyebrows and bared canine were of any indication. Getting reckless now are we? After throwing a left straight, he began another right straight. Gotcha.

With my less bulky body, but power packed fist I decked a counter right into his jaw once again, the stone fist he threw only barely grazing against my cheek at this point. Ichor was spat out, and the suited man was starting to understand that staying in that form wasn't going to do him any favours if he kept on getting hit by my devastating counter.

With that, the air about him started to shimmer, and he returned back to his blue demonic state. "You have done well so far." Dark red energy started to form in his fist. "However, this is only the beginning." I broke off one of the Tetrakarn fists and replaced the remaining with the gold shimmer of Makarakarn shards.

"Dark Verdict." Shots of Dark energy collided with my Makara fist, which I used to bat the ominous energy back to Lucifer. But this is strange. I thought Thanatos was the only one who knew that… Well, the Dark magic was nullified because of his innate affinity with it. Damn.

I charged to the fallen angel with Subtle Knife in my hand, which I blinked into this existence. He in turn began flapping his leathery wings to keep me back from approaching him. "Brave Blade!" The huge sword strike cut through the wind, and I was able to land a deep cut on him. The wing flapping stopped, and he began charging up a Megidolaon in his hand, which he promptly threw down onto the surface of the tower. I teleported behind him in response, and scored some slashes on him.

"Thanatos!" The god of Death appeared in blue mist, and I landed on top of the coffin cape as usual. Lucifer grinned, as if in anticipation of the upcoming attack. "Glacial Blast!" Thanatos quickly dodged the incoming ice and wind attack, and he unleashed a Samsara on the fallen angel. That was when we found one of his weaknesses.

The leather winged demon recoiled in pain from the golden talisman attack, and it was my chance to withdraw Subtle Knife, and replace it with Iceflame. I plunged the sword into Lucifer's torso, also slashing him across as I withdrew it. Hell yeah, another weakness. This was apparent as the demon collapsed onto the floor that made up the summit of Babel.

He had finally recovered while I was unleashing a series of hacks and slashes with the icy blade. He blasted me back with a fire spell called Prominence, searing me with the intense heat as the flames came for me from all directions.

I landed on the ground, kinda singed, but it wasn't anything I minded too much. I pushed Thor to the forefront of my mind, and I could feel his Physical Amp taking effect. I surrounded my fist with Bufudyne shards, and my other still having Makarakarn mirror pieces bonded to it.

You know, now that I think about it, I think I may be watching too much Hajime no Ippo these days. I made for a super jump that bashed Lucifer's head down, to which I followed up with a quick uppercut. Yes, Volg is awesome. I landed safely on the ground as Lucifer recovered, and it was at this time that I saw him activating a spell that I hadn't seen before.

"Chaos Element!" The blast of Dark energy exploded, taking a bite out of the unfinished tower. Crap… I summoned Thanatos who caught me as I was forced out of the summit of the tower. Urgh. My ribs were broken, my lungs are punctured and my head fucking hurts. Not a good day.

I activated a Diarahan spell, and my bones were set back into place, and my lungs back to normal. But the pain in my head didn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Thanatos seemed slightly shaky as a result. If I can't concentrate…!

I barely noticed Lucifer charging towards me with surprising speed, and Thanatos threw me out of his grip before I could protest, and disintegrated into blue glass and mist as he was impaled in the stomach. I could feel the pain being transferred to me and godammit it hurt! Good thing is, I'm not actually injured. Bad news? I can't summon my Personae right now!

From that height, I should have probably crashed my head into the hard surface that was the ground and cracked my spine and died, but I wasn't ready to die here. I used Black Frost's teleportation powers to appear on Lucifer's back, and boy was he pissed.

My head was slowly clearing up, and good. I can summon again. Thank Thanatos.

**You're welcome…**

The death god groaned. I chuckled a little bit, in response to his flippant reply. I didn't bother to summon my Personae yet, since I was using this opportunity while Lucifer was trying to get me off his back with little success. Welp, I'm rested up now, and… Thanatos!

The death god chuckled darkly as he was summoned, and it was at this moment Lucifer was impaled by Thanatos' sword. Lucifer's eyes widened in shock, and he fell to the ground with a huge crash. But I had this foreboding feeling that this wasn't over yet. As I walked cautiously over to him, I realised I was right, as his eyes flickered open as I got closer.

He quickly rose out of the crater that he had created, and blinding flashes of light were emitted from the fallen angel. But what he had on, even after he had sustained near fatal injuries was not what I had expected; a smirk of the most condescending kind.

"Megidoladyne."

My eyes widened as a final flash of light blew me backwards into a rock, near crushing my spine and ribs, again. That was definitely Almighty magic, but I have never heard that spell before, even from the Reaper. I groaned as I stood up, but recoiled in fear as I saw he was emitting that light again, and I swear, it was even more intense than the last blast of light!

"Megidoladyne."

The next wave of Almighty magic pretty much crushed all the bones in my body as the magic did its damage, the force made its movement, and the rocks in the way did the breaking. I coughed up some blood onto my hand as I tried to wipe some of the vile tasting blood that was leaking from my mouth off. My vision was becoming blurry, trying to look up at the fallen angel who was steadily rising into the sky, readying no doubt, an even more devastating blast of Megidoladyne. If the next one hits me, I'm doomed.

A faint voice began to whisper in my head. It was a kind, and calming voice… My mind was out of it for a while, and I was probably unconscious.

**Minato…**

It was the sound of one of my Personae, but it was one that I didn't recognise.

**Ah yes… I haven't introduced myself quite yet. My name is Messiah.**

Messiah? Of what Arcana?

**I am the last one of the Judgement.**

But…! How? I haven't spent anytime time with the rest at all! What's going on?

**Sometimes, you don't need to be near your friends for your bonds to strengthen.**

Messiah chuckled a little before continuing.

**Well… I can explain the rest later when you finish your trials at the God's Plain.**

Well, thanks. But why did you pick this time exactly to show yourself?

**You are in a life and death situation right now.**

…That's right… What are we going to do?

**Wake up, and follow my voice…**

My eyes flickered open at that moment, and to my surprise, in that whole split second that I had been unconscious, my pain been cleared completely.

**Follow these words…**

I gulped a little and whispered the words quietly.

**"Nova Kaiser."**

An immediate flash of light clashed against Lucifer's waves of energy, and they dissipated as they crashed against each other, leaving only the power of Nova Kaiser to rush through and…

Lucifer let out a harsh cry as he collapsed onto the crater he was in previously.

My eyes widened. I had actually won.

I ran over to Lucifer, and indeed he seemed in no condition to fight. "What the…?" Lucifer returned to his human form, and appeared heavily injured with constant coughing of gold blood. "You defeated me." The man in the red suit stood up shakily, but collapsed as he tried. Lucifer muttered a curse, and looked up at me with his hand held out.

I rubbed the back of my head with one hand, the other grabbing onto his pulling him up completely. "Never thought I would say this, but I think this would be the one time I'm not hating God." My eyebrow arched at that. "What do you mean?"

Lucifer scoffed. "Don't you know who Messiah is? You know… Son of god? Saviour of mankind and whatever?"

"Oh. Right." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Well, I'm glad and all." I gave him a V-sign, to which he arched his eyebrow. He sighed heavily, and shoved his hands in his pockets as a dark shadow started to emanate from him.

Unlike the other techniques and powers, this one entered me as a shroud of clouded energy. It had a sense of malicious intent, but…

Lucifer chuckled a bit. "These are a couple of magic spells I was saving against YHVH," Lucifer snorted in contempt. "But since you're going to be fighting him anyway… I might as well give them to you."

"I see. Well, thanks. Never really liked the guy. He's a prick." Lucifer smirked. "And I thought no-one else would agree with me. I'll see you later, if you decide to fuse me as a Persona." I nodded back, and he disappeared in a pillar of light.

Feo, you ready to go?

**Of course. This time… Let's go to YHVH.**

… Are you saving Zeus for last?

**…Yes. He's a bastard. You know that. I would like to make his… **Orpheus coughed a little. …**Defeat as… satisfying as possible.**

I would give you a hi-five, but you're stuck in my head. Feo chuckled a bit at that, and soon enough the hot and barren world around me distorted into a land of white and blue.

Heaven is fluffy. Random, I know. But, there is a lot of clouds. Wonderful. It's like the fight with Izanagi all over again. "Hello there." A robotic voice called out to me. I wonder about this. I turned around to the direction of the voice. "You're tall."

"Is that a compliment?" The metallic angel inquired. "It's just a statement. What's your name?" The angel replied, "My name is Metatron. I'm the voice of god if you will." My brow furrowed at that. "Ah. Cool. Erm… Are you going to tell me what I'm supposed to be doing here?"

Metatron nodded and responded with a reasonably happy voice. "Yes. Master has been expecting your arrival. Let me lead you to him." The huge angel gestured me over to him, and I promptly shoved my hands in my pockets and followed after him. As I was observing him, I could feel some sort of power emanating from Metatron. A shattering occurred in my head.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Aeon Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**The Vorpal Sword.**

Then who's the Persona? Metatron looked around at me with a curious glance. Don't tell me… "It seems… I am available to you now…" I had to resist an urge to slap my head. Metatron is now one of my Personae. "Apparently…" I scratched the back of my head. "Well, we can't really dwell on that right now. We should get going." Metatron nodded slowly.

After a few minutes of walking through the seemingly endless plain of clouds, we arrived at a pavilion of pure white. "He is waiting in there." I nodded to the mechanical angel, and with a flap of his colossal wings, he disappeared into the sky.

I cautiously walked into the pavilion, padding on the marble floor. A figure in a blue suit stood in front of me as I rounded a corner that led to a balcony that looked out at a sea of blue.

"Son of man… I see that thou hast come." I nodded, not really knowing whether I should step forward to reach him, or just stand still. At that moment the blue figure gave out a small chuckle. "Come hither, son of man." Is he a friend of the funny voice in my head?

With some hesitation, I padded forwards to the balcony and stood just behind him. The man in the blue suit turned around, and even though I don't like him that much, I can say that he looks pretty cool. Very much unlike my blue hair, he had a head of white, slightly spiked hair. His eyes were a powerful violet colour, and his visage screamed out his cool composure.

His lips were upturned in a slight smile, and he began to speak. "Welcome. I am YHVH. Or Yehovah. Whichever is fine." I nodded, and took my hand out of my pockets. "You probably know this already, but I'm Minato." If he's being polite, I might as well go along with the pleasantries. "Yes… Just as that blue butterfly told us." He nodded after looking me up and down, probably looking for confirmation. "Well, we should get on to our fight…" A lavender coloured aura began to surround him as he started floating just above the ground of the balcony. "Just don't expect this fight to just be all brawn here." His slight smile turned into a full grin.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I summoned the sword of the Emperor Arcana, Lightning into my grip. YHVH nodded in agreement, and the white scenery changed to a pure sea of blue. "Nirvana."

Orbs of Light were fired at me, and I easily dodged the balls of energy with slight movements of my body. Upon seeing that last orb being fired, I couldn't help myself to a grin as I swung Lightning in an arc as I spun to the side of it, letting loose a Brave Blade attack at the blue suited deity.

The same deity dodged in a flicker, and instead went through a cloud of smoke. When it disappeared, the shape of Alice appeared before me. I was caught off guard by what I knew was an illusion, and a fistful of light was plunged into my jaw. I scowled as I realised just how this guy fights. Effective, but it wasn't something that I really approved of. Though I really shouldn't be talking.

Needless to say, the punch was painful. As I opened my squeezed shut eye, I noticed that he wasn't there anymore. Dammit, this guy's fast. I knew that I had to calm myself down.

It was at this moment that I noticed the figures of Minako and Mitsuru before me. I sensed that all movement had stopped, but YHVH definitely had to be one of them two. Mitsuru's illusion readied her rapier, and I myself readied Lightning once more. I had been taught a little in fencing by Mitsuru, though I much preferred to stick to my style, if it could be called that.

I jumped into the fray, and relaxed myself, jumping up and down to warm myself up some more. I tried to strike first, hurling myself into a slide to knock her off her feet. Of course, she dodged but she had to distance herself from me. Not the best of moves. I blinked Brisingr in my other hand. Yeah, you see this is why I use one-handed swords. Because you can use two.

I steadied Brisingr in front of me, and held Lightning at the back in my right hand. I trust ya Feo. Said Persona made a small yes and I charged with the tenacity of a beast towards the red-headed illusion. I swiped at her, and she used her rapier to barely block each swipe. But she didn't expect a foot to be planted in her stomach. I noted that this illusion didn't get passed through, and that the illusion could indeed deal damage to me if it ever got a hit.

Then I remembered that two illusions in total were made.

Then why wasn't it attacking? My thought was cut off when the Mitsuru illusion thrust her rapier into my unguarded chest, and wedged itself in between the thin spaces between my ribs, puncturing my lungs. Blood started to rush in, and I couldn't keep attacking it. I coughed profusely for a few seconds, and then I realised that cold metal of her blade was making a slight cut in my throat.

"Alilat…" A Diarahan flowed through my body, and… I had to smirk at the scowl that the illusion had on. "Thanatos!" The death god appeared with a roar, and cut through the illusion in one clean cut of his long sword, letting the illusion fade away. I grinned as I knew that the Minako illusion was probably hiding YHVH's figure.

Another illusion fell upon the blue, contorting it into a series of greys and blacks. I looked around, and the first thing I noticed was the constant rapping against a door, and the shouting of several voices. They were very familiar, and I knew whose voices they were when the sound reached my ears. But they didn't lift my spirits. Their pained voices only served to make me feel an unprecedented amount of guilt, sadness and anguish.

I tried to squeeze my eyes shut, but the voices were starting to file into words even as I pressed my now empty palms against my ears. The swords I was holding disappeared into a pocket dimension.

"Please! You have to let him go!"

"Onii-chan wouldn't do this!"

"Grrr! Rawf!"

"Dude! You have to let him out!"

"You can't do this!"

"This isn't something…"

"…You can hold against him."

"Please, please… You have to understand!"

As I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter, tears were starting to leak out. I wanted nothing more but to shout out, but I tried to suppress it. I was feeling an unusual amount of force being forced into my body, but I couldn't mind the pain that it was giving me right now. No burn, no bruises, hell, not even fatal injuries were going to let me stop blocking out the protests of my friends.

**Master! You have to stop!**

**Boss! This ain't doing ya nothing!**

**Master… I can't stop you from this. But if you don't stop, you won't be given a chance to see or hear them again… For sure.**

But…

I was pulled into the sea of my soul, and I felt three presences hovering close around me. I finally looked around, and I finally saw the face of Messiah. He had white hair set up in bangs, just like mine. His body appeared highly mechanised and metallic, and he was a pure white colour all over. On his one arm, he was carrying a chain which bound a set of white coffin lids, not dissimilar to Thanatos' coffin cloak. Through the bangs that were covering his eyes, were piercing blue eyes, reminding me of how Orpheus' red gaze looked.

Messiah pulled my wrist closer to him, and his arms wrapped me in an embrace.

**Do you know why you are fighting?**

Because… my mind was drawing a blank. I shook my head a little and looked up at Messiah's face. A small smile was drawn on it, and it was one like I had never seen. Not even Mitsuru's or Minako's smile could compare to it. Theirs were happy smiles. His…

It was one filled with compassion and forgiveness.

**…Because you wanted to gain more power to defeat Nyx. Remember?**

I grit my teeth together, looking away from the white Persona for a moment.

**Because… You want to see your friends again, right?**

I looked up at him with slightly shocked eyes. "That's… That's right…" He released me from his grip.

**Then… remember your will. It was an illusion… Right?**

I nodded slowly.

Feo let out a sigh of relief, and Thanatos let out a small chuckle.

**So… Follow these words.**

I listened patiently, and by the end I was wearing a face with determination.

"Will do." I opened my eyes, and uncovered my ears. My boding was aching with bruises and my clothes were marred with heavy bleeding. A silent Salvation spell from Messiah let me recover my strength, and I glared at the blue suited deity with the iciest glare that I had ever shot. My eyes were reflected in YHVH's violet eyes, and I saw that they were glowing a stark cyan colour, even brighter than the times that I had ever killed Ikutsuki.

"Orpheus!"

The metallic musician appeared with his hands folded. It was clear that he was not happy.

"Thanatos!"

The black god of death appeared with a menacing roar, and he readied his stance so that he was ready to swing his word at any time.

YHVH appeared to be breaking out into a cold sweat as my actual Personae were quickly appearing. His eyes were widening in fear. It was a good look for him. It was only going to get worse for the deity.

With a grin… "Messiah!"

With that, he finally flinched as he realised who I summoned.

**This was what you resorted to!?**

Orpheus cried out, his red eyes intensifying the glare that he was currently shooting at the blue suited deity.

**Heh. The Lucy-man played an even cleaner game than you!**

If I could see Thanatos' face, he would probably be smirking and the only way he was expressing it was his tone of contempt. At his comment, YHVH flinched again.

**I'm disappointed in you… 'father.' **YHVH was fuming at this point, and Messiah, Thanatos and Orpheus spelled out the words that would mean his complete and utter defeat.

**Nova Kaiser!**

**Omega Cluster!**

**Grydyne!**

I pointed my fingers in a gun-like formation at the deity. "Megidoladyne!"

The flashes of Light, Dark, Gravity and Almighty spells filled the room, and as the explosion of light dissipated we were once again on the balcony from before. YHVH was barely standing. I couldn't help but grin at the selfish bastard.

He wiped off the Ichor that was trailing down out of his mouth with a small grunt, and tried to pick himself up to his full height. He fell down when he tried, and I wasn't going to extend a hand to the prick.

"Fine…!" A shroud of white surrounded him and the power transferred into me. "Before thou asks, son of man… Minato." He grinned up at me with a dark expression. "This is now thine power of illusions." I nodded at the deity quickly. "Well then… I only have one question. Was that illusion actually real?"

YHVH chuckled as he leant against the glassy barrier on the balcony. "Hmhm… They were doing that earlier though."

I furrowed my brow in reponse, and turned around to start walking.

Come on Feo.

**Mmhm. I doubt this next fight will take long.**

I do too. I do too.

The next destination was Mount Olympus. I crashed through the ceiling of the building that was sheltering Zeus and Poseidon. To my surprise, Hermes and Athena weren't there. Huh.

"You certainly make an entrance." The lightning god commented.

"Does it help that I want to absolutely kill you to pieces?" I glanced at the water god, Poseidon whose brow was furrowed. "Both of you bastards."

I could feel Thanatos' power filtering out of me, and I could feel Orpheus' as well. But, I haven't summoned them… I don't know what happened to make me say these words, but I did.

**You took my wife from me… You will both pay you bastards!**

**There wasn't any need to kill her! Do you know how much pain you caused me by making me kill that innocent girl!?**

A flash of Grydyne and Omega Cluster, and the two gods were already defeated. "He-he's projecting!" Zeus whimpered out in pain. "He actually thinks he is the both of them!?" Poseidon growled out.

An orb that glowed silver fell from the sky, and it entered my chest. "So it seems the power you gave me was the power to kill you guys. How nice." I turned my back on the simpering brothers. "Thankfully for you… I'm not merciless like Thanatos, or hold as much of a vendetta against you like Orpheus. So I'll let you live."

Feo. Are you ok? I asked as I walked to the stairs that led up to the mountain.

**Ah! I'm sorry that I lost control master! Please, forgive me…**

Orpheus. It's okay. But what I want right now, is to get back to the real world and start that.

**Ohohoho… I see. And sorry boss… about earlier.**

Same for you Thanatos.

**Ok then… If you say so. Let's go back then boss!**

**Yes. Your body should be rested up a little back in the human world. Considering how long you spent here, yes. You should be good to go, master.**

What are we waiting for!?

The two Persona grunted in agreement, while I heard a soft chuckling in my mind that sounded like Messiah. I closed my eyes, and I was back staring up at a cold, grey ceiling. There's only one thing to do now. I padded myself over to the metal bars that stood in front of me.

Just so you know the level cap for me and my Personae seems to be level 99. I finally broke through those like my Social Links. With that thought, I bent the steel bars open with little difficulty.

Hm. Why didn't I just teleport out of here again?

**It's more epic that way, boss.**

Oh. I chuckled a bit at that. It seems that I've gained the same taste as you in theatrics, Thanatos. With a chuckle from the death god I proceeded through the metal bars, and after sensing that everybody that I knew with a Persona was in that one place, I teleported to Iwatodai Dorms.

Koromaru was just outside, and he immediately walked over to me and started yipping with happiness. "Hey boy." I patted him on the head, and the SEES members came rushing out as they finally noticed Koro's barks.

Mitsuru and Minako engulfed me in a hug as I stood up. "You baka…" Mitsuru said whispered. They broke out of the air-choking embrace, and while they were both happy, they also looked very hurt. "You are going to give us an explanation." Mitsuru commanded, and I sighed with nothing but amusement. I nodded wearily at my imoto and fiancée and they walked me back inside, the guys, girl and Aigis especially, eyeing me with worry.

We all sat ourselves down on the chairs and couches. Cue the awkward silence. Mitsuru was the one to break the ice. "Minato… were the things the detective accused you of true?"

I paused a little. So straight up as always.

**I know you can do it…**

Thanks Messiah. "Yes." I stated as bluntly as I could. I mentally prepared myself for just… something to happen. No-one was doing or saying anything. "Should I elaborate?" I stretched back into the couch. Another awkward silence? Geez!

Huh? Messiah? Whatcha doing?

The pure white figure materialised just above me, and I could sense that he was giving me a smile like the one earlier.

"What the!?" Junpei fell off his stool in surprise.

Aki and Shinji pricked to attention, and to be sure, their eyes were widened as far as they could be widened.

Fuuka and Aigis flinched in surprise as they scanned Messiah. When they were done, they both let out small gasps.

Mitsuru soon also let out a gasp as she too finished scanning Messiah. "What is that power…?"

Minako simply looked up at the white Persona with curiosity, almost like when she first looked at Orpheus within me for the first time. "Onii-chan…" Her voice didn't have any hate in it. Like I thought it would. I smiled a little at her in response.

Messiah cleared his throat.

**Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Persona Messiah. **I nodded up at the Persona, waiting for him to continue.

**I must explain few things about Minato... **He looked particularly at Minako. **When your onii-chan came back from his trip… what did you think he was doing?**

"I honestly didn't know… Onii-chan never told me. Whenever I asked, he just clammed up about everything."

Messiah chuckled. He looked at me, somewhat amused. **Of course you would do that…**

**Anyways… What Minato was doing when he was on the trip… He was getting rid of the people who previously assaulted your okaa-san.**

She moved her gaze to me, very curious about the information. "Ne… Of course you would do that onii-chan…" He eyes were starting to water. "Okaa-san never told me the reason either."

**She probably didn't want you to know for the same reasons as Minato. **Messiah sighed and began his spiel again. **While he was on the trip…** Messiah looked at me with a smirk. I deadpanned at him. **He also picked up a number of habits… I would say. **Junpei smirked at me, already knowing because of the things I told him a number of months ago. "You can stop that Messiah. That isn't really important." He chuckled again, and the rest sans Junpei looked at me funny.

**Erhem. When he came back to Iwatodai… he didn't stop killing though. **Yay! Ball dropping! **He continued to kill in the Dark Hour. **The white Persona looked at me solemnly.

"Why onii-chan?" There was an amount of hurt in Minako's voice this time.

"Simple one there." I closed my eyes in resignation and put a small smirk on. "I wanted to and I couldn't stop."

Her usually sunny façade snapped. She was trying to suppress tears, and she looked like she really wanted to slap me. Her fist was shaking in anger, and she was trying not to pry her palm open to ready it for a slap like I was thinking.

Well, I would've stayed, but sirens started wailing and I knew it was time to go again. Messiah disappeared in blue mist. "Sorry. I have to go." Without giving anyone time to react, I disappeared with a click of fingers, and teleported to the small alleyway under Mandragora, aiming for the blue, glowing doorway.

I reached for the doorhandle, and slipped inside.

* * *

AN: Hell yes! The god arc is finished… *flops down on bed* Anyways… Did you guys like the fights!? I tried to make them as awesome as I possibly could! And also the 'fight' at the start too. That's his way of thinking right now.

I've been thinking that maybe I should make a Youtube playlist with songs that you could play for the god fights. It's just for fun, but if you want to try and see whether my music fits, then the list of music for each fight and some other events in between will be here.

I'd really like to know what you guys think! Plz review, and no flames!

Izanagi Fight – Kurow Loses Faith: Okamiden

Izanagi Interlude – Reset (Thank you Version): Okami

Thor, Loki and beginning of Odin fight – An Die Freude: Catherine

Dimension Shift, Odin fight – Battle on the Stage: Catherine

Odin Interlude – Good Morning, New Days: Catherine

Black Frost Fight – Lying Coldly: Edgeworth Investigations

Black Frost Interlude – Cornered: Phoenix Wright Justice for All

Climbing Babel – Demon of Darkness: Devil Survivor

Louis Cyphre Fight – Unavoidable Battle: Persona 3

Lucifer Fight – Garuda/Last Decision: Devil Survivor

Lucifer Interlude – Rival Battle: Devil Survivor

Meeting Metatron – Eternal Life: Devil Survivor

YHVH Reality – High Touch: Devil Survivor

YHVH Illusion – Soul Survive: Devil Survivor

YHVH Interlude – Sunset: Devil Survivor

Zeus and Poseidon – Deep Night/Deep Darkness: Devil Survivor

Escape – Battle of the Brave/Sky's the Limit: Devil Survivor 2/Persona 4 the Animation

Meeting Back with SEES – Lamb Game Between Male and Female: Catherine

Link to Playlist is here is ya want! watch?v=1dVzbsYDphU&list=PLY6LcCSbSmQc4Mph0chW-JBAMpJrWS-fP&index=1


	9. Let's All Meet Up in 2010

_31/12/09 Evening_

"Minato!" Elizabeth crashed into my body, wrapping her arms around me as she did so. I patted her lightly on the head. "Thanks for the welcome." I smiled down at her, then looked up to find Philemon standing next to the chair that Igor always seemed to sit in. "Philemon." The butterfly-masked man gave a nod at me and gestured for me to sit down in the chair.

I carefully pried the still smiling Eli off me and settled myself in the lyre back chair. "Welcome back Minato. I suppose that challenge I sent you went well?" I could almost imagine the smile that he was hiding underneath the blue mask. "Well?" I pulled a smirk. "I destroyed Zeus!" My smirk turned into a grin, and I heard Philemon chuckling.

"I see that you clearly enjoyed yourself some." Philemon nodded to himself. "Anyways… It seems that you may be in a bit of a predicament."

I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. "Hehe… It's nothing I can't handle on my own. But I need a solid place to stay since I realise that I haven't overloaded or found all the Arcana which correspond to the Social Links." The black suited man agrees it seems. "They would be…"

"I haven't found the Sun and Moon Link yet, and the Tower, Devil, Judgement, Strength, Star and World Links haven't been pushed to their limits yet." I explained.

"Yes… Your Social Links are of utmost importance." Igor nodded with the same creepy grin that he always wore. "Very well." Eli soon whispered something into the jii-san's elf-like ears. Then he chuckled. "It seems that Elizabeth and the others have some business with you."

Eli smiled, and lifted me up the chair and led me to a cyan blue door. I shut the door behind me, and Elizabeth continued to lead me on after that. "Eh? Whatcha doing Eli-chan?" She giggled mischievously and I was left to wonder about what she was doing before she stopped in the middle of a baby blue room, and turned around with a black key in her hand.

"This is a key that can lead you to Tartarus' dimension anytime of the day." She placed it gently in my hand, and closed my fingers over the cold key. "Thanks Eli-chan." I ruffled her hair. "Oh you know… I'm just wondering something…"

_Dark Hour_

Welp, I doubt any of my friends would be going to Tartarus right now. Because I have something to do there that will be made a whole lot easier since I have those powers of mine. Thebel Block, Thebel block…

Yup. "Hi Charon."

"Ah. Minato. What are you doing here? None of your friends have come by tonight." He asked.

"First, Elizabeth sent me a challenge. Secondly, we probably won't be meeting up until the promised day." I answered.

"I suppose the challenge is…" The suited deity speculated. "I have to defeat you… Solo."

Charon snapped to attention. "I see. Then…" The deity brandished his revolvers. "Come."

I grinned as I filled one of my fists with the Omega Cluster spell, and the other with a Nova Kaiser spell. The Reaper seemed very surprised to see those spells. "What…? I thought only Lucifer wielded Omega Cluster."

"That's not all I got up my sleeve." I teleported to just under the Reaper's hood, and smashed my Light fist into his rib cage, and my Dark punch into his rib cage one more time. Gold Ichor dribbled out of the deity's hood, and I knew he had taken serious damage just from that. "It seems I can't hold back against you… Chosen one of the Gods."

The air around the Reaper shimmered, to reveal a man with black hair, fair skin, a black trench coat, pants and white shirt, and a glowing yellow eye. On his head were bloodied bandages that bound his hair which in a hairstyle like mine to his face, and covering his right eye. In his black gloves he was still brandishing his powerful revolvers.

He pointed his two guns at me, firing several Nirvana spells at me. I tried to teleport, but I soon found out the hard way that I couldn't use the teleport ability too many times within a few minutes. I resorted to punching back the orbs of light that were coming my way by batting them back with fists.

"Thanatos!" The death god roared menacingly, and charged at the Reaper, swinging his blade madly at the black deity, tearing his coat to shreds, and scoring many cuts in his body as well. I was quickly approaching Charon, and he didn't have enough space to shoot his guns.

Silently using a Power Charge spell, I punched him out of the tower and into the murky green midnight sky. I followed out after him, and punched him down into one of the contorted buildings that made up the visage of Tartarus.

I landed next to him and summoned Esperacchius into my hand, pointing the blade at his throat. He swung his fist down on the ground and I understood that knew that he was no match for me.

"How much power did you gain…?" He held out his hand and I pulled him up to his feet. "Enough to one-shot both Zeus and Poseidon with one spell?" I grinned at the ferryman, who nodded. "I see."

He handed his revolvers to me without me asking and I was left to wonder what he meant by this. "You're the new Master of Tartarus."

"But… I can't take these… Are you sure?"

"Very. It seems that you're already powerful enough to defeat all the other deities in the God's Plain. I will have no arguments." I sighed at Charon and I soon succumbed to his request. "Good."

He disappeared in a shroud of dark energy, and when that happened… a warm feeling started to fill my chest. I looked down at the revolvers, to notice that my hands were covered in white gloves. I need a mirror.

Figuring that my teleportation powers had recovered since not using it for a few minutes, I teleported back to the Velvet Room.

"Hello there." Igor looked up at me curiously, and if someone said that those bloodshot eyes of his couldn't get any wider, then they were obviously wrong. "Why do you have those?" His brow furrowed as he thought about it. "Charon gave them to me." That smile of his also became wider, and he spoke with a mysterious tone. "It seems that the possibilities of the Fool Arcana are quite infinite… To even defeat the Master of Tartarus like this… Wonderful. Your power is coming along nicely."

I flipped the gun in the air, and it soon landed softly in my glove. "And it seems you came here because you are in need of a mirror." Eli-chan spoke out, slightly flushed. I nodded and she let me back to the baby blue room from before. She led me to a body-sized mirror lined with silver metal.

I had to whistle at the changes that the blue-grey revolvers gave me.

I was wearing the same bandages that the Reaper wore around his head, and my clothes were changed to have a white collared shirt and jeans. I looked around to Eli-chan and it was clear she was thinking about something very strange and outlandish. "What are you thinking about?"

"I have decided." She stood up from the dark blue bed she was sitting in and clicked her fingers, summoning a velvet covered box. "You are going to put these on."

I blinked once and twice at her bluntness and somewhat hesitantly took the furry box from her hands. She giggled and sat back down on the bed she was occupying before, waiting for me to open the box expectantly. I opened to find a trench coat bathed in the same blue of the Velvet Room and lined with navy, a navy blue belt with two black gun holsters that seemed to be the perfect for the revolvers, a white cravat and a blue hat the same colour of the coat, cross-between Robin Hood's hat and a bowler hat.

I looked back at Elizabeth who was smiling like a little school girl. No harm here. I thought it would have been something a lot worse from the way that she so forcefully said 'you are going to put these on.'

I slipped the ocean blue coat on, pulling the light blue cuffs to be more comfortable. I wrapped the night blue belt on, also clipping the gun holsters on my sides. I dropped the revolvers in the black holsters straight after. Wait. How do I put on a cravat? Eli-chan must have sensed my thoughts then, because she stood up and took the cloth in her hands and started to wrap it around my neck.

"Ah right! I almost forgot." She snapped her fingers once more, and an intricate silver pocket watch and chain with the design of the Velvet Room mask carved carefully into the back of the watch appeared in her hand. On the ground appeared a pair of black combat boots with grey leather bands with buckles wrapped around it in a single criss-cross formation and metal covering the toe areas of the boots.

I blinked a couple of times again but decided not to question this, and pulled the tight-fitting boots onto my feet after pulling my Mercury chucks off. Eli-chan was beaming this time, and she held the gleaming watch out in her hands to me. Knowing about her nature when it came to taking things that she wanted to give to me, I took the watch gingerly into my hands.

"Thanks Eli-chan. I guess I won't ever forget the time now." I ruffled her head and she giggled before leading me out into the main room of the Velvet Room. Theo and Margaret were in as well this time at they were all looking at me with curiosity.

"May I ask Minato, why are you wearing an old Velvet Room uniform?" Theo asked with scepticism in his tone. Wait. A Velvet Room Uniform? I deadpanned at Eli-chan who only looked off to the side with all innocence showing in her smiling face. "I wasn't aware this was a uniform of yours…" I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.

"Ah no, it's fine. I think the underlying question here is the reason why Elizabeth thought it fit to give it to you." Margaret asked with a small smile. That is unusual for her, since she's the serious one out of all the Velvet Room residents. "The pocket watch… This was the Reaper's… was it not? That should give you the reason, dear sister." This was Charon's? Huh.

Margaret and Theo flinched at this. "Wait he…"

"Minato actually…"

"Yes, dear brother and sister." Eli-chan responded with a smile. "Welcome the new Master of Tartarus."

A rocking tune blared out from the Concert Hall's corridor, and huh. I kinda like it.

"NAMELESS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Eli-chan shouted, with not much care for the music that was blaring out or the ears of the people around her. Hehe. Nameless. A young male voice with a resigned tone replied with, "What? You said Master of Tartarus so…"

"That wasn't a cue for you to play the damn song!" Eli-chan stormed into the baby blue room that we came out from earlier, fuming visibly. I heard Nameless, who is the mix master for the Concert Hall mutter a few curses about not being needed and finally went silent.

"Ah… Such is the life of the master and his servants." Igor mused.

"Ok… I'm gonna go to sleep." I awkwardly scooted into the room that Eli-chan was occupying.

A second bed that wasn't in her room earlier was beside the one that Eli-chan was curled up in, complete with varying shades of blue for the pillows and sheets. Ah, Eli-chan. Out of habit, I kissed her forehead before trying to close my eyes.

Minako…

I'm sorry.

_Late Night_

After realising that I wasn't going to get any sleep, I stretched and did my daily routine before heading into the main room of the Velvet Room. I checked my pocket watch. It was still a little after one out in Iwatodai. The Velvet Room's properties make it so time has no relevance here. So no time outside has passed. I guess it would be a good time to do that routine again.

I teleported a writing pad and a pen as I sat myself down in the lyre back chair, leaning over the small desk that filled the space between me and Igor's chair.

_Minako…_

Dammit. I scrunched up the piece of paper in frustration, and oh. My teleportation powers worked again. I guess it has to do with the fact that time has no relevance here. The paper was safely transported to a recycling bin. I kept thinking that I wanted to write, but I ended up tearing up the paper I was supposed to be writing on to pieces.

**…**

I was really beginning to cry again.

**Minato…**

Messiah? I quickly wiped the tears that were building up in my eyes away, creating smears across the sleeve of my coat.

**Master…**

Feo… I gritted my teeth together, trying to suppress more of that salty water from spilling out.

**Boss…**

Thanatos…

**Just let it out.**

**It won't make the situation better, but it might make you feel better, master.**

**Take it from that guy who cried his heart after that happened, boss.**

I squeezed my eyes shut, making more tears stain the blue floor of the room.

"Minato?"

I looked up to catch sight of the butterfly-masked deity. "Philemon…" I managed to say through some hiccups. He nodded and settled himself where Igor usually sat. "What is it?" He said in a coaxing voice. I looked up at him with my clouded eyes. "Sorry… Gotta go."

Philemon made a small concerned 'hmm' sound behind me as I left the Velvet Room.

Breathing in the cold air of Paulownia Mall I started walking.

First, Club Escapade.

"What the?" The bartender looked up from the glass he was drying towards the door. "It's late shouldn't you—Oh! Minato." I gave him a two fingered salute and walked to the bar where he started filling up a small glass with some Elizabeth. "Thanks man." The sweet and slightly sour drink flowed down my throat, also carrying a certain heat with it.

"Seen ol' man Mutatsu?" The bartender grinned. "Ah he's upstairs. Nothing bad, he's just coming here outta habit now." He muttered under his breath, "Thankfully." I chuckled a bit, and passed him some yen and extra as I stood up to approach the stairs. I gently padded myself up to the second floor, and yup. It was a little strange seeing him without his cigar and drink. I could recognise Elizabeth's sharp and fruity aroma anywhere. He swirled the clear liquid in his glass and took a sip.

"Yo." The old monk looked up and his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh. It's you kid." His usually pursed lips broke into a grin. "Whatcha standing around for? Siddown." I laughed a little bit, and sat down on the purple leather seat. "What's wrong kid?"

"Huh?"

"Your eyes are all red and stuff. Something happen kid?" He put down his glass on the small table at looked at me with concern. "Well… Ok. You could say that." I spread out my arms on the back of the leather seat. "Like what kid?"

"Heh. I just found out how much of a prick I am." I chuckled darkly.

"Kid…" He sighed. "Whaddaya mean? From what I know kid, you can't be bad if you can help an old nut like me."

"Maybe not to you jii-san." I looked up at the ceiling sadly. The monk waited for a response. "Hah. I just up and left everyone I cared about..."

"You can't be like me kid. This better be good." He folded his arms. "Well… Remember what I told you about my little episode?" Mutatsu nodded. "Looks like it came back around to bite me in the ass. And it almost got my friends too." The old monk stayed silent. "Either I go or they go."

"Well… Just know that me and my family are in your corner kid." He grinned.

"…Thanks Mutatsu."

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Tower Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Tempest.**

The cold shattering didn't faze me in the slightest. This is what I was going for. "Nice to know that…" I stood up with a small grunt and gave a two-fingered salute to him.

I opened up my pocket watch. So… it's half-past one. Let's see how many I can find and overload in one day. Ooh. I have an idea. If I write this down on here… And… Teleport to Tanaka's desk! I am a genius.

After a few minutes, the familiar cracking of glass rang out.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Devil Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Charon's Claw.**

… I'm not going to try to comment on that. Universe powers are saying I should take up the Reaper's mantle. Funny. It's a waning full moon. Where did that come from?

"Because you're sensing something weird?" A female voice called out from behind me. I turned around, and it was a girl with light brown skin and near black hair. She was wearing a faded red scarf around her neck, and a grey shirt with a wolf's head on it, with a caption that read, 'let's destroy.' She wore simple blue jeans and a white jacket around her waist as well.

I sensed from her…

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast established a link with the Moon Arcana…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when fusing Weapons and Personae of the Moon Arcana…**

"So, you sensed the power of the Moon coming off me right?" She looked at me with inquisitive emerald green eyes. I nodded dumbly at this. "R-right… Um. I'm Arisato Minato. But you can just call me Minato." She nodded. "Yup. I'm Sagara Ray. But you can just call me Ray." Foreign name and that accent…

"Nice to meet you…" She held out her hand to grab mine for the shake, but she collapsed into my arm as she tried. "Whooaa. Sorry there." She sighed as she pushed herself off of my arm. Red started seeping through her clothes, and a metallic tang filled the air. "Shit…" She tried to sit herself down on the bench in front of the fountain. "Do you need help?" She nodded weakly, and I set to work on a Diarahan.

She grinned at me as she regained her strength and it seemed that the wounds she was harbouring were healing up. She wolf-whistled and grinned. "Nice Diarahan."

I looked up at her in curiosity, and her grin only grew more. "I just know about this kinda stuff. My favourite Demon is Black Frost."

"Eh?" I flinched in surprise. So she knows about Demons… "How do you know about them?"

She giggled a little. "Heh. It's a secret for now. What about you blue-san?" Blue-san? It must be because I am wearing all blue. Obviously.

"Ah… I actually went to where they all lived and beat all of the Gods that were living there." I rubbed the back of my head. "Ooh, nice. Great job." Ray punched my shoulder softly. "You must be pretty strong now." I rubbed my shoulder with a look of mock hurt and replied, "I guess so…"

"Also… that Persona of yours looks pretty cool." I blinked in surprise. She has the potential? "You can see it… Do you have one too?" Ray grinned and held up two of her fingers up. "I have two. One is called Skoll, and the other is called Eos." Norse and Greek… Huh. "Arcana is Death and Star." Huh? "But why? Your Social Link is the Moon right?"

"I dunno. My main Arcana is actually Empress. Weird right?" She looked at me with her softly glowing emerald eyes. "You have a lot of Arcana in you too. Death, Fool and Judgement huh. I like it." Liking the Death Arcana… Huh. "I'm hungry."

…I deadpanned at her because of her blunt statement and stood up. "Where do you wanna eat?"

"Ah… I feel like ramen." She stretched and stood up. I gave her five thousand yen. "Knock yourself out with that." She smiled, nodded and headed towards Hagakure. "Wait. You aren't coming?" I chuckled. "Nah. I'm kinda a wanted criminal right now so…" She mulled it over some, and nodded with a grin. "Ok."

A few minutes later, she came back. "Ah… The house special was awesome." She sat down on the bench again with me. "Care to tell me little about what you've been doing?"

"You really want to know?" She nodded vigorously. "If you say so. I'm wanted for stuff like stealing and intrusion on private property… and…" Ray stared at me, and she looked at me with knowing eyes. "Hah. I don't mind, so long as you're not a potential rapist or torturer or something."

Really? "Why those two in particular?" She flinched a little, but smiled soon after. She probably figured that I would ask that. "Well… You know how I started bleeding earlier? Take a guess from the two I just mentioned." She looked down, shuddering a little bit. "Shit." Even after the Diarahan I gave her, her wounds re-opened… "Salvation…" Messiah cast the powerful healing spell and disappeared very quickly. "Thanks…" She said weakly.

"Shouldn't you go to hospital?" She looked down at the ground sadly. "Well… They can't heal it. These shouldn't even be here anymore." She rubbed her stomach, wincing a little bit. "How long?"

"Two months. My bones were healed, but the flesh wounds stay. Thankfully the heated knife ones actually disappeared, and the normal ones too. But the big ones that I got from the bastard are still there." I even had to wince at that. "I don't know why they're still there, but I don't think it's because they can't. I think it's because you won't let them."

"Nothing gets past you, huh." She folded her arms behind her head. "Yeah. That's right. Hey." I looked up at her. "You seem like a nice person. Why are you also a killer?"

"Heh. I just have a really bad sense of morality." She scowled. "That's not the reason."

I flinched. She's good at reading emotions huh. "Because… I want to keep my imoto safe. That's all." Ray's face showed a look of surprise, but it soon turned into a smile. "I would call that admirable. If a tiny bit selfish." She giggled at the last statement, and a light shade of pink began to paint across her face. "Yup. I've decided. You're a great guy."

"If you think so." She smirked at me in response. "I bet you just say that because you don't believe it yourself. Right?" Surprised again. "True. But… it's because I'm leaving her alone…"

Ray had a neutral face on this time. "I see…"

EH!? Big surges of Moon energy! Multiple rank ups?

"Like I said, I really like you. You're nice and caring. You kinda remind me of Lelouch from Code Geass, and Akira from Eden of the East. You put on a harsh façade so that others don't get hurt, but underneath it all…" She pushed her hand on my chest. "You're really a big softie."

I had to chuckle at that. "Would you happen to an otaku?"

Ray grinned. "Yup. I like lots of games and anime. And manga."

"Think we'll get along just fine."

_02/01/10 Morning_

"And then, apparently these alien things show up and if you don't defeat them, the world administrator will destroy the world." Ray continued talking about that game called Devil Survivor 2. It was a supposed tactical RPG, where you have to use demons to kill other demons and aliens each named after the stars of the Big Dipper constellation. "Ah, I see. I should probably get those two games sometime." Assuming I don't get myself killed at the fight with Nyx.

"I didn't think anyone would be coming to share this seat." I looked around for the source of the voice and Ray did the same. I finally reached the face of a man not much older than me who was dressed in a striped shirt and had nearly white grey hair. "Ah, sorry. You wanna sit?"

"Oh thank you. Then this bench shall be our meeting place." He gave us a smile and sat down on the bench with us. Ray seemed to be awfully curious about him, and is it just me or does he look like Messiah? Weird.

"What's your name?" Ray asked with a huge grin. "My name… You can call me Akinari."

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast established a link with the Sun Arcana…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when fusing Weapons and Personae of the Sun Arcana…**

"Nice to meet you Akinari." I grinned. Finally found all of them.

"Akinari-san. What are your hobbies?" Ray grinned as well. She probably sensed the surge of energy that came about when I met him. Because of her innate Personae, she too can sense Personae users and also surges of great amounts of energy. She decided that she would help me with my Social Links until her Link was overloaded. She said that it was funny that I called my other Links 'overloaded.'

"I like reading and writing…" Ray nodded. "What kinda stuff do you write, and what do you like reading?"

"I like reading heroic stories that instil hope when you read them. As for writing, I like writing, but I haven't been able to find any ideas for writing." He fingered the red fountain in his hands. "Ah don't worry. I know how you feel when it comes to writers block. It's annoying."

Akinari chuckled. "Why are you laughing?" I asked cautiously.

"It's just that… It's been a long time since I've been treated like this," He said with a sad tone. "It's refreshing to have people like you here. You two don't seem to be like all the others…" He started coughing profusely, and while we wanted to help him, he stopped us.

He panted a little bit. "Sorry about that…" Ray frowned. "What was that?"

"I… I have a genetic disease… That's why no-one treats me like a normal person anymore. I just stay in the hospital all day long. This shrine is the only reprieve I get from the pitying looks that the adults give me." I continued the finger the red pen in his hand.

I nodded to myself. "Because of this disease, I… may be gone from the living in a few weeks." I had to stop myself from flinching. I want to see if this will work. I looked at Ray, and she nodded. "Welp…" I placed my hand on his shoulder. And Ray came around to his other side. "Then I guess it would be good to try and enjoy what you have left?"

I glanced at Ray, who nodded. Let's try it.

Eos and Messiah appeared, and they both whispered…

**Salvation…**

Unbeknownst to Akinari, a healing pulse jetted through the area, blowing a soft wind around through the leaves of the trees. "Yup. That's right."

Akinari looked at the two of us, and he smiled. "Thank you. But… I wonder if the two of you have anything to do with my lack of pain?" I grinned and Ray did the same. "The aching in my chest is gone… I wonder if some greater force has been at work…?" He smiled at the two of us. "Akinari… We both think… That you're too great of a guy to die just yet." I winked at him, and Ray came over back to my side.

"So it was you…" He made a smile that seemed to not have been used in a million years.  
"You have my eternal thanks. I think…" He stood from the bench and looked back down at us. "I just found something to write about. Thank you."

As he left from the shrine, no longer was he the sickly man that approached us, but a man with his whole life ahead of him. "Looks like… We did a good job."

I nodded, and the same shattering from many times before filled my mind.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Sun Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Sommerswerd.**

"Definitely. But… I wonder if making him able to live was the right thing to do. We're officially messing with destiny." I mused. "Whatever happens, happens." Ray said.

I nodded and looked around. "The coast is clear. Let's go."

I raised the cold black key, and twisted it in front of me. A green door appeared as I did so, and we passed into Tartarus.

"So… what's you power level?" I glanced at Ray.

"About ninety-fiveish." She looked back at me. "Why? Don't think I can handle myself?" She giggled at my deadpan face, which came about as she made that reckless statement. "I'm just kidding. But yeah. I should be fine." She grinned wolfishly, almost like the wolf that was imprinted on her shirt. And if it was imagination, I was pretty sure I saw a glance of killing intent pass through her eyes and make them start glowing slightly. "But you know… I don't really plan on fighting with you guys."

I looked at her with a little bit of disappointment and disbelief. I nodded slowly. If she wants to tell me the reason she'll tell me herself.

"You'll see why." Her chocolate brown locks flicked by as she beckoned me to the transporter. I followed after her, and I commanded to go to the Adamah Block which was the highest block in Tartarus. "Well if you're asking, I'm just going to go up there to check for a few things." She nodded with understanding and with a zip we reached the crystalline corridors that made up the Adamah Block.

"Look out!" She turned behind and spotted the Maya that was quickly approaching. Her eyes flashed a bright green and a black shroud surrounded her arms, forming vicious claws. With the ferocity of a wolf she charged into the Shadow, ripping through its spongy flesh like knives through warm butter. The Shadow dispersed into black and red mist soon after.

"So…" She turned around. She was completely unscathed, but black shrouds were still surrounding her hands. "How'd I do?" I shook my head with a small smile. I teleported a pair of metal bands into my hands, and I threw it to Ray. "I'll take that as you did really awesome." She slipped the metal bands onto her knuckle area.

"Like Wolverine?" I asked with a smirk on. "Yeah… But what has that got to do with anything?" She asked quizzically. "That's what those are like."

She made a small 'ohh' in realisation, and she shook her hands. White light-made blades made their way out of the silver knuckle guards, making a small and shrill sound as they were unsheathed. "Perfect." A flash of green appeared in her eyes again. Seriously, what is that? It's not natural…

I sighed in resignation, and we both made our way to the peak without much trouble while I blasted through some of the Shadows, while Ray like a voracious wolf slashed through the remaining offending abominations of black goo.

The top of Tartarus was surprisingly warm, and moist. The only things disturbing the stagnant air were tiny breezes that were barely able to cut through it. I thought she would be here. "Alice." The girl in black turned around to face me. "Ah! Minato!" She ran over to me, just topping short of me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a hug, unlike all  
the playful ones that she gave me before.

Ray was staring at her, but I could tell that her eyes were glowing a harsh green emerald colour like the times when she was cutting through the Shadows. However, they were the most intense that I had ever seen them. Alice turned to face her company, and looked at the brunette disbelievingly. "What are you doing here…?"

"Is this who I think it is?" Ray continued staring back, though it seemed to be turning into a glare if anything. "It's me. Avatar of Death." Ray's usually casual façade started to crack as she continued to face Alice. She was shuddering with anger, and she looked like she wanted to lash out at the girl. "Wait. You know each other?"

Ray nodded very slightly, but continued her staring contest with the other blue-eyed girl. "It's been a long time." They both said to each other. Ray seemed to be struggling to sheathe the white blades that were hidden in her knuckle guards. Alice bit her lip.

A demonic presence started to filter out of Ray, and her eyes were now that stark shade of green. A growl rumbled out of her throat, and it sounded way too much like a real wolf's.

**"Bad Wolf!"**

This was the first time that I had ever seen her summon a Persona, but it didn't seem like she normally summoned it like this. With the cry of her voice, the sky turned white, the clouds and moon black with a red slash. An eerie howl echoed through the empty skies and a red blur charged towards Alice.

After the clash, the red blur was blown back, and it seemed that its attack was Blocked. The sky turned back into the eerie green murk that surrounded Tartarus, and the form of the red streak revealed a scarlet wolf with singed fur, fire at its feet and green eyes that matched Ray's.

No wonder her fighting style was so wolf-like…

Alice had a grimace on after that skirmish with her Persona, Skoll. Ray finally snapped back to attention, and she looked around frantically. "Not again…" Her Persona disappeared in blue mist.

"Alice…" I turned towards the black-haired girl, and she looked at me sternly. Ray disappeared back down to the penultimate floor of Tartarus, leaving us two alone. "Minato…" She gave me another hug and broke out of this one pretty quickly. "It's not the promised day yet, you know?"

"I was just checking…" I gestured to my heart. "Does the contract still stand?"

"Yeah. But… I have to tell you something." She ran her gloved hand done the side of my face. "If I somehow… I am defeated… It is likely that… Because my essence is so connected to yours… You may die."

"…" You've been the one pulling the chains. Maybe not intentionally, but…

Alice's eyes were squeezed shut, and she was beginning to cry. The same way, the chains around my heart started squeezing tight and I had to squeeze my eyes shut too. Warm tears were teetering on the edge of mine, threatening to fall down. "Is there really no other way?"

"…Hey. I just said it was likely." She wiped the tears from her eyes, and she seemed to no longer be in pain as I released the hold on the chains that bound us. "I hope so."

_Late Night_

"Ray. You 'kay?" That might've been a stupid question…

"Kinda?" She looked quite hurt to be honest. "You know… I think that's why I was drawn to you, a little." She chuckled. "Since both of us have housed Death sometime. You're still holding her in your heart though." She smiled if a little mirthfully. "I guess I could relate to you a bit."

I nodded slowly. I didn't really have many words for her, and neither did she. "I wonder…" She giggled to herself a little, but her face quickly turned to a hurt look again. "What's up?"

"It's not anything you need to know about." She said it as if she was daring me to try and press her on it more, but there was this contradicting look in her eyes that were begging me not to ask. "When you're ready then." I stood up from the bench outside the takoyaki shop that was Octopia. "Hm. I'm hungry." She nodded. "Yup. I'm getting takoyaki that isn't really much of takoyaki since the filling is only part octopus." She stood up and wandered over to the vendor like it was nobody's business.

She came back with a white paper bag with two sticks of takoyaki in them. She handed me one of them, and she took the other one for herself. Oh hey. Now that I'm thinking about this, why haven't any police shown up if I'm technically on pursuit and whatever?

…This is seriously going to jinx me isn't it?

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I saw him over here!" Some voice that I didn't really recognise called out. Ah. It's the detective from before.

"Ray." I stood up and looked down at her as she swallowed the last of her takoyaki and eyed me quizzically. "We gotta go." Before she could ask why I had already begun pulling her along to a nearby alley obscured in a cloak of shadow. "Can you tell me why you're so worked up?" She whispered. "Yup. But… First, I'm going to teleport to Paulownia Mall. I'm going to have a little explaining to do."

She nodded, and with that I took her hand and we ended up in Paulownia Mall like I said. "Now are you going to tell me?"

"Police." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Man, I hope they realise soon that they are never to going to be able to catch you if you those crazy teleportation powers." She nodded to herself, as if for confirmation. "Yeah… That's kinda sad. Unless I intend on turning myself in or something. Again."

"Again?" Her eyebrow raised a little. "The first time, I went with them 'cause I didn't want my friends to get involved. Though my very time spent in detention was actually spent beating gods during some minutes of sleep." Ray blinked her eyes quickly in disbelief, but what I didn't know was what she was actually surprised about. "You only did that challenge recently?" Nod. "While you were sleeping?" Nod. It seemed that a fit of laughter was about to ensue, but all that was coming out of her right now was a few snorts.

"Nice." Ray gave me a thumbs up. "Anyways… I wonder if I should get who I suspect tipped them off to drop the charges?" She deadpanned at me. "Yeah? You mean, 'I shouldn't get the people who are trying to chase me and are the only reason I'm keeping away from my friends, off my backs?' Gee, I never would have guessed." I snickered at that, but her expression turned resigned. "Eh… Not like it would be that easy."

I nodded. "True." I scanned around for any sight of them. Thankfully there weren't any near here. "I should be safe for now." I reached around for a familiar box, but I realised that the police probably took them off me when I was first arrested. This is going to be so weird without them.

"Hey. I didn't ask you this before, but where do you live?"

I looked up. "At the antique shop in the mall." She nodded to herself. "Where do you live?"

"Oh! Eheh… I live in Australia." She ran her hand through her chocolate brown hair. "I'm supposed to be here on holiday and stuff… But… Yeah." She sighed heavily.

"Really?"

"Mmhm. I just wonder how it turned from peace to war to running around with a fugitive." She looked at me with a grin. "I just remembered. How do you know about Demons?" I asked.

"Ehh… I can summon Demons. Yeah… I'm apparently a Demon summoner." I nodded. "I see… And you're a Persona user?" Ray nodded.

"Complicated." I deadpanned at her, and she giggled at my bluntness and expression. "I'm sure."

Max outs are cool and all, but you never expect them. Same with Ray. Hear that shattering? Well, looks like I maxed out the Social Link, but I suspect that her overload is going to take a lot more work. I wonder why? And I unlocked the Personae Veritas de Skoll and Eos.

"What are you doing here?" I voice that I could recognise only too well rang out. "Takaya… Cool. Saves me the trouble of having to find you guys." Looks like Ray decided to stay quiet for this.

The greasy-haired man stepped closer to me. "And so you know… I'm here to talk about that little arrest you helped to warrant." I tipped my hat up a small amount so that you could see my eyes. They started glowing, and I could tell through the reflection in his eyes. "What about it?" I chuckled darkly. "Well… I've got to explain something to the two of you."

Jin stepped out of the darkness, standing side-by-side with Takaya. "What have you got to explain?" He said, without mirth.

"…I'm not gonna stand in you guys' way, because I don't want the world to end either. But if we didn't destroy those Shadows, it's very likely that more than half the city of Iwatodai would be destroyed and there would be a lot more of the Lost. That and… even if we didn't destroy it, it would probably find me eventually." I didn't explain that when a non-Persona user gets eaten by a Shadow they become cases of Apathy Syndrome; the Lost. Yeah, that stuff doesn't exciting when I put it like that. "Besides… it can't really be impossible to 'defeat the one who cannot be defeated.'"

"What makes you say that?" Takaya asked. "If I can defeat all the other gods and deities without breaking a sweat, what's another one going to be?" I gently pushed the brim of my hat down. "Anyways… that's all here. I'll be going." I gave the both of them a two-fingered salute and took Ray out of the alleyway.

"Are you ok?" Ray asked. "Well… I dunno. I wouldn't know if dropping those charges would work now. I just didn't want them to get me back now when it's the most crucial. But, what's done is done." Ray placed her hand on my shoulder. "Let's hold it out until we get there, huh?"

I nodded with a smile, which you know… I haven't done much lately. "I knew you could smile." Ray grinned at me.

I don't know whether she would want to talk to me." I mused. "I can't make you do it, but I think you should try anyway." Ray suggested. "I should… But I can't exactly just walk back in and be like, 'oh what I said a few days ago was a complete and utter lie,' can I?"

Ray giggled. "Maybe you could, but that isn't something that I'd want to do either, so I won't force you." I sighed. "Man, I feel like singing. Or rocking out." Ray nodded. "Yeah? Where?"

"Well, I could try the Velvet Room… But I don't know whether you'd be allowed in." I said, a little sad. "There's that kind of stuff in the Velvet Room? Huh. I didn't know that…" I blinked once or twice in surprise. "You've been to Velvet Room?"

"Yeah… Remember my episode with that girl? Well, I have formed a contract with a different part of Death. It's complicated but yeah." She waved it off. "Then let's go."

We walked into the blue room and Philemon was there in Igor's chair waiting for the two of us. "I see you two have found each other. Interesting. Anyways, welcome back to the Velvet Room." I glanced at Ray, who merely shrugged, which pretty much translated to 'it doesn't matter.'

"Well, I'll leave you two to your devices." Philemon stood up from the chair and disappeared in blue mist. "Let's go." I pointed her to the Concert Hall's door, and we began walking through the corridor that led to the huge chamber.

"What kinda songs do you like?" I asked. "I like indie rock, electronic, metal, anime and video game music, among other things." Yup. We'll get along just fine. "Then you know… Last Dinosaurs?"

"Hell yes I know Last Dinosaurs!"

"Ok then." I slung the electric guitar over my head, and Ray did the same with her acoustic guitar. I started picking, and Ray started strumming after a few bars. We alternated between the lines that we knew fit. Ray sang most of the harmonies when she wasn't singing her main lines. Her singing was about as beautiful as Minako's voice.

_You know you're not the only one  
To see the boy that you hold very close to you,  
He's not your kind of guy, I hope you realize  
I have no care for answers, 'cos now you're standing only next to me, oh…  
So take me on a tangent, 'cos tangible is something we perceive, oh…_

I don't want to be just another,  
Fighter without fire, nothing to inspire,  
In a million years when we're older  
Finally we can be part of history

From a retrospective point of view,  
It's time to reinvest, don't care to what extent,  
Subconscious disarray, I want to look away,  
I'll live to shadow-play

I can't tell the difference,  
When everyone's pretending to play ball oh…  
Now I'm all for resistance,  
But I can't take it anymore oh…

I don't want to be just another,  
Fighter without fire, nothing to inspire,  
In a million years when we're older  
Finally we can be part of history  
(x2)

Finally we can be part of history…

I told you,  
I tell myself,  
It's alright, alright, alright

I don't want to be just another,  
Fighter without fire, nothing to inspire,  
In a million years when we're older  
Finally we can be part of history  
(x2)

"Since when were you good at singing?" I wiped a little sweat off my forehead. "Since, forever?" She replied. "Is it weird that I find that you're kinda like a female version of me?" She giggled at that. "Honestly? You're a like a guy version of me."

Awkward silence.

* * *

AN: WOOHOO! I finished this chapter. *collapses on furry carpet* Also, I'm sorry that I rushed some of the Social Links in here. The Moon Social Link was definitely the main focus here. Even more important than Akinari-san. Yeah. I used an OC for Moon Social Link since I thought that the canon SL was horrible. Tell me if you agree about that.

Anyways, I hope you like Ray's character. Cameo from older fanfiction that wasn't supposed to turn into fanfiction. Also, I took up one of the reviewers ideas, *cough* Sacchin *cough* since I was actually planning on doing something similar to that idea. Thank you!

Man, I feel like the quality is dropping, or maybe its the lack of actually challenging fights. Speaking of, I just got a great idea for the nest chapter. XD

Plz review and no flames!


	10. Beyond Infinite

_02/01/10 Dark Hour_

"Well, I'll see ya later Ray." She nodded with a grin and left towards the hotel. And before you ask, no we're not in Shirakawa Boulevard. Thankfully she knows the reputation of that horrid place, and stayed well away from it while she was staying.

Time to do pranking because I know some people are going to Tartarus and it's going to be fun to troll them. I grinned to myself as I zipped myself into the Monad Block where everyone was training. Thanks to my new coat which is awesome, I must say, it covers up my SP signature. Wow. That sounds awfully like Naru—

One of the powerful Shadows that roamed the bloodstained halls of Monad shrieked, cutting off my destructive thoughts. Looks like some things just don't want me to stop thinking about Na—

Aw, come on. Another one interrupted my thoughts. Fine. I'll shut up in my head about… that.

Minako seemed to be leading the command this time. "Guys! Over here!" It's time to put this into action.

"Be careful! I sense something extremely powerful coming your way!"

Yup. Wait for them to find me, and clink the chains of my pocket watch together to imitate the chains that Charon always carried around. Because of my tipped down hat and how the bandages that I was now wearing were wrapped around my head, they were covering up my tell-tale blue hair and the only thing that they would be able to pin on me was my lone cyan eye. But it goes along with my motif here, so you can't draw a conclusion from that.

I teleported in front of them, and grinned. I drew my revolvers.

"I sense… Death!"

Minako was looking at me quizzically, and so were Junpei, Yukari and Aigis. Thank Thanatos Koromaru isn't here. They team were probably wondering why the 'Reaper' looked so different.

Minako got into her stance with her naginata poised to attack. Junpei swung Kusanagi in an experimental arc. With space to spare. It seems that he's learning. Yukari, looked surprisingly calm and readied her bow. Of course, Aigis raised her brutal firearms.

I jumped back to make for a little more distance between us, still having my revolvers raised. In my other hand, I summoned Charon's Claw which I finally fused, just like the others. The blood-red blade looked… It looks kinda cool I guess, but I read somewhere that apparently if you're not strong of heart you're likely to get your mind taken over and destroyed. Fun.

I started off the 'battle' by firing some Water spells, which also included Bloody Honeymoon and Aquary Tide. I love that when you reach level one hundred or beyond that your SP becomes near limitless, making it possible for me to fire off Omega Clusters like they were nothing. Minako jumped out of the way for the most part, and summoned Eurydice to cast a Marakukaja. Aigis dodged the several Water spells expertly, while summoning her Persona, which looked decidedly different to cast a Matarukaja while she tried to pepper bullets on me. Looking at it again, I realised that her Persona had ascended to Pallas Athena.

Junpei was trying to get out of the way, and it looked like a really scrap comedy section from a certain Sonic OVA that I know of. Not that the movie was bad, but some of the scenes needed more work. And of course, Yukari with the new attack boost was throwing out a strong gust called Panta Rhei that made the water disperse, and almost made a Messiah of me when I was being blown back towards the incoming wall.

Being the badass that I am, I jumped off the wall, channelling more force into my legs so that I could get out relatively unscathed. Time to mess with them.

Zip.

I could see their shocked faces as I teleported to the next floor where I was to torment them. The life of the Reaper is actually kind of fun. But then again, Charon was only ever active if we spent too long on a floor. I'm just doing this for kicks. And also because I want to see how strong they've gotten.

I waited a little while before I heard footsteps tapping against the cold floor. I started making the rattling chain sounds again. The team rounded the corner, and they were all very confused and surprised to see me again. I waved to them, and with my revolver, fired this time Teradynes and Magnadynes. The rocks that were shot out were once again dodged, but they did leave slight grazes as the hurtling boulders passed by them.

Zip.

This time, I set a trap where I herded a group of Shadows into one dead end, using my power signature to block out theirs. The team was coming closer to meet me and I waved at them again, teleporting to the next floor and leaving them to deal with the group of high level Shadows that were waiting behind me.

This continued until they reached the basement of Monad, where I finally decided to stop messing around and actually fight. Granted, with my new levels I'm not really sure if they can beat me. What surprised me is that Minako actually started talking to me before we started. The rest of the team were giving her strange looks when she began to speak her questions. "What happened to the old Reaper?"

I grinned, and deepened my voice a little so they couldn't recognise it as well. "Does it matter?"

She flinched from my blunt response, and also because Charon didn't usually talk back if we tried. Just shoot Megidolaons and go. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why not?" I spun my gun around.

Again, she was surprised by my response. "Are we going to fight?"

"If you wanna." I grinned as another shocked look passed her visage. I sheathed my revolvers and stopped spinning them. "And if you really think you can stop me from messing with you."

I was readying a Nova Kaiser spell, while a blue aura surrounded me and instantly everyone was on their guard. A flash of violet, gold and white crashed into the members of SEES, while they were wondering what the heck this spell was. Minako stood up quickly, after being hit with one of the strongest Light attacks. That's her.

She charged at me, swinging her naginata gracefully at me, while I dodged her strikes. "Grydyne!" Just after I shouted, a pulling force was making them shoot up to ceiling while I snickered at my new gravity manipulation powers. The recovering team was knocked against the hard surface of the ceiling, with only Minako and Aigis left standing. On the ceiling. Hell yeah.

"Omega Cluster." A red and black flash filled the room, forcing everyone to the ground. Ceiling. Whatever. I snapped my fingers, and the force of gravity in the room became normal. This of course sent them crashing to the floor, sounding with a huge impact.

"Me…dia…ra…han…" Minako and Yukari whispered softly. A healing pulse filled the room and the team's wounds and bruises disappeared, taking with them the pain. "Still not strong enough…" I muttered to myself. If I can almost kill them with just those spells… What's going to happen when we face Nyx?

I whispered a certain spell that only Thanatos ever used. "Silent Night." Black and white feathers fell from the sky, sending everyone except for Minako to sleep. She backed away from me a little as I approached, still on guard with her naginata. I simply walked forward, and Minako was becoming very confused as to why I wasn't attacking. I stopped just short of her, and placed my metal hand on her shoulder.

She realised who it was once I did that, and her face was one of complete shock. With my other hand, I removed the bandages that were covering my azure locks and she began to smile a little. "Onii-chan?"

"Imoto." I pulled her into a hug, and she wrapped her arms around me. "Onii-chan… You're back…" I nodded slowly. "Did you really mean what you said when you left?" She looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Did you think that?" I replied as I stroked her fringe and moved it aside. "…No. That isn't the real reason, is it?"

I smiled. "True. It wasn't because I could. I wanted… I needed to." She looked at me those cute questioning eyes of hers. "I needed to keep you safe. I didn't want what happened last time to happen again." She put on a pretend pouty look. "You didn't need to do that. I…" She moved aside my bangs which were covering my other blue eye. "I just needed you by my side."

"It's a shame I didn't figure it out until now." I rubbed her head. She giggled a little. "Smartest guy in the school didn't figure it out until now?" She grinned with a touch of mischievousness. My grin grew wider, and I started laughing. How true is that? "I missed you. I've been missing you for a long time." Minako's smile was one that reminded me of the days when we were carefree, and we would play with our otou-san and okaa-san when we were young. "What do you mean?"

"I haven't seen you smile like that for a long time. I missed you." Tears were welling up in my eyes, but they weren't ones of pain or sadness like the rest. "I missed you too." We broke out of our embrace, but still pretty close. "Well, I think these stooges will be waking up in a bit. I'll see you soon… Minako." I rubbed her head and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "I'll see you later, onii-chan." I smiled back, and snapped my fingers. I teleported back to the Velvet Room, and my snapping of fingers also released the hold of Thanatos' spell.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

** Thou hast transcended the bond which binds…**

**The powers of the Star Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Cipher.**

'Transcended the bond which binds'? That's different, I mused. Also, Cipher… That is not in any book I've heard of, let alone read. Cipher. Zero. Infinite potential. I smiled to myself as I walked to the Armoury. I pulled out a Nihil Sword from a pocket dimension and placed it on the anvil before heating it with Ragnarok. What spell would a Star Arcana need? "Morning Star." I turned around to see Eli-chan standing behind me. "You need Morning Star for this."

How stupid am I? That makes sense! I nodded to Elizabeth with a smile, and pushed Helel to the front of my mind. I channelled the Almighty energy to the hammer I took up, and smashed it down into the white-hot metal. A burst of gold and white was released when the hammer made impact, revealing a clear sword without any colour. It was so clear and glass-like that I almost didn't see the Weapon the first time. I picked up the sword, making an experimental swing. As the sword made an arc, a sound, like that of crystal bells ringing echoed through the room. It sounded beautiful, just like Minako.

"It seems after all this time you finally found this sword." Eli-chan smiled. "After about eight years… It is a very special sword, like all the others. But… what's so special about this one is that you have to the skills on yourself, and if you put a group of Persona skills on it, you can use it for fusing again." My eyes widened. "Fusing what?"

"That is something for another time. You still have yet to transcend a few of your Social Links. When you do that, I'll tell you about it." She left with a grin, while humming an old childhood song of hers. Looks like I still have some work to do.

_03/01/10 Afternoon_

"You know, I didn't get a chance to thank you for listening to me yesterday." Ray rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. That looks so much like me, it's almost creepy. Maybe what she said in the Velvet Room wasn't just a joke… But then again, neither was what I said. "So, thanks."

I too rubbed the back of my head, with a grin. "Is it just me or do you seem a lot happier?" She looked at me all suspicious-like. "Maybe… Yes?"

"What did you do after we separated yesterday?" She folded her arms. "I went messing around in Tartarus… Don't look at me like that! It's the duty of the Reaper to… patrol the floors around there?" She nodded slowly, as if she didn't believe me. "Right… And I'm sure you didn't go mess with your friends who were probably exploring the tower that night…" I flinched at her very accurate deduction.

"Ok… so what if I did?" She grinned back in response. "Nothing. Just saying."

"Yeah… I met up with my imoto in the tower, and we patched things up after that little fiasco two nights ago." Ray nodded. "Welp, that's good!"

Ray snapped to attention when a ringtone started sounding out. Huh. It's Vulnerability from Trauma Centre. "…Yup?...Wait, what!? Ok… Ok.. Mmhm. Bye."

Quickest conversation I've ever heard. "Sorry, I gotta go to the Police Station. I'll be back soon." She left the Velvet Room in a very big hurry, I mused. After some ten minutes, she came back in looking flustered, but happy at the same time. "I can't believe…" She panted. "They actually found her…"

"Found who?"

"My mum…" She slumped down on a stool. Her mum? Ah right, okaa-san here, mum in Australia. That and, where the hell did she go missing?

"We were separated when that happened." She pointed over to the slightly red sections on her shirt. "I'm finally gonna get to go home." She smiled.

"That's good." I grinned at her. "Yup. Thanks for helping me. It meant a lot." She gave me a thumbs up. "I'll miss you."

"You too. Sayonara!"

"Bye…" Awkward…

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

** Thou hast transcended the bond which binds…**

**The powers of the Moon Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**The Sword of Truth.**

So… I guess I should fuse that… Ray. She's a strange one, I thought. Again, placing another Nihil Sword on the anvil, I heated it and… What am I supposed to use for this one?

**Moonless Gown.**

Eh? Thanatos?

**I'm sure, boss.**

If you say so. I had no idea what this Moonless Gown spell was, but we'll see I guess. Upon releasing this spell, a white haze dispersed around the room, also refracting into colours of the rainbow as the haze spread out. The sword that appeared had a long, silver blade and had a black hilt with a small pale blue gem embedded in it.

**Be careful with this one boss. It's pretty dangerous.**

Ok Thanatos… I picked up the sword, and true to the Death God's word, a force was washing over me that I hadn't felt before. And… Moonless Gown is stored in it? And it has Bad Wolf… and Megidoladyne on it!? My Thanatos, what the fuck!?

**Hey, it's not MY fault that the sword is so OP! I think Bad Wolf and Megidoladyne are the signature moves of Ray's Personae.**

Why does Eos have Megidoladyne of all things, as its signature move? Thanatos stayed silent for that one.

**Ah. I remember. You know how she told you that she housed Death inside her for a while? Well looks like her power carried over to her Personae, boss.**

Oh. Ok. This is going to be so weird to use this. Thanatos merely grunted in response. Now, I have to find a way to overload Koro-san's Social Link. And Eli-chan's Link. And I'm sure the Judgement one will get there eventually. I was half expecting for the Judgement one to finish levelling up right there. Of course that wouldn't happen. I'm sure SOMEONE would do it just for the funsies. Right?

Anyways, I have to find an opportunity to hang out with Koromaru. I'm sure he would be missing someone that he can actually talk to. I teleported to the Iwatodai Dorms, and by some really strange coincidence, Mitsuru was taking Koromaru for a walk.

When I zipped in, Koromaru's ears pricked up and he started to look around as he caught a certain scent. No doubt mine. His tail was wagging as if it was a wind-screen wiper on a car as he ran off to the direction of the shrine, where I figured he would be going since that is his usual route anyway.

He approached me, sniffing out my shoes. I bent down to pat his head, and I saw Mitsuru was following after him with a small smile on her face. I looked up at the redhead who approached with a grin.

She backed off with a shocked expression. "Minato…" Koromaru yipped with a happy tone, and I stood up to face her at eye level. But then again, I am taller… Nevermind. "Mitsuru…" She wrapped me in a hug. "What have you been doing?" She asked with a concerned tone as she broke out of the embrace. "Just… been getting stronger."

She nodded slowly, and didn't have an amused expression. "You are so incorrigible sometimes. You know that right?" I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Yeah… I know." She nodded with a satisfied smile. "At least you know."

"It seems Koromaru has some business with you." The red-head looked down at the white shiba-inu. The dog barked happily and nudged me over to the shrine. "Whoa boy!" I joked, and he kept pushing me even faster to the altar of the shrine as a result. "What is it?"

He gave me a bark which roughly translated to, 'I need you to help me find something.' I blinked in surprise, and ushered myself into the shrine with no arguments. "What are you looking for anyway?" Koro-san barked happily which said something like, 'I'm looking for a small furry box.' What he would need a furry box for, I don't know but I not going to question this shiba-inu.

I haven't used Myriad Truths yet, have I? I released a surge of SP, and I was able to feel for the aura of the box. I looked in the direction of the box, and began to rummage through a pile of things to which I had no idea why they were in here. I finally reached for something box-shaped, and like Koromaru so aptly described it; 'furry.' I lifted it out of the clutter and presented it to the shiba-inu. 'Open it?' Huh.

I lifted up the lid of the furred box, and inside I saw… it was a blue john bracelet with intricate indigo bands running along the side of the white stones. There was a metal circle with the following engraved on it: Love. I looked at the back, and in small cursive were the words Ama and Terasu. Huh? Terasu? I looked at Koromaru suspiciously, and he simply kept wagging his tail. Koromaru you sneaky dog.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Strength Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Irving.**

I emerged from the shrine, and found Mitsuru looking around the shrine with piqued curiosity. "Hello." I waved.

"Ah, Minato!" She approached me a little timidly. "What is it?"

"Oh nothing…" She smiled. We walked back to the dorms with Koromaru just behind us, while I quietly slipped the bracelet onto Mitsuru's wrist. Because the bracelet was so warm from my holding, she didn't notice. "Where are you going to go now, Minato?"

"Don't worry too much… I'm mostly just hanging around the island really. But the police just aren't fast enough to catch me." I grinned. "I see."

"Until then…" I raised the hand with the bracelet, and she looked at me with shocked eyes as I stole a kiss on it. I waved, and teleported back to the Velvet Room. Her face… Priceless.

_03/01/10 Dark Hour_

"I have one request, Minato…" Eli-chan looked at her siblings, who all had serious expressions. "I want you to fight me. Like last time." I nodded slightly, still a bit apprehensive about her request. Last time I tried to fight her I only barely got out alive. "Along with Theo and Margaret."

"… You have got to be joking. Really?" I asked with a very disbelieving tone.

"It's no joke, Minato." Theodore confirmed. "We wish to test our skills against you." Margaret added. Dammit. I may be pretty powerful, but I'm not even sure I can take out all three of these Velvet siblings. That's just crazy!

"Well, now that we have sorted this out please meet us at the bottom of the Monad Block when you are prepared." I nodded slowly. "Uh… sure."

With that, the trio exited the Velvet Room, Compendiums in hand. How many cards are going to hit me today? And the books that are going to be thrown over my head? I looked at Igor with pleading for help, but he merely smiled back with that creepy grin of his. Well… But then again I do have a few new Personae to fuse… Asura, Eos and Veritas de Skoll.

I asked Igor about them, and after sorting out the fusing arrangements with him finally fused Asura, who… well he's that god with multiple faces on one head. He was the kind of Persona to use Agidyne and Akasha Arts. And with the things I used to bump his move pool up a bit he was jack-of-all trades here.

Eos was the blonde haired deity who brought the dawn in Greek mythology, also bringing the morning dew and warm breezes. Naturally, she had innate affinities with Water, Wind and Fire. OP much, huh? That and she had Megidoladyne and Morning Star on her. Very overpowered.

Lastly, was Skoll who was a wielder of Dark, Fire and Ice. But for some reason, instead of a wolf appearing, it was a werewolf with leather straps around his torso and ripped pants. He had the biggest claws I had ever seen, and wore leather gauntlets on his arms. Same as Ray, it also had those stark emerald eyes that she had. Anyways, his most powerful attack was Bad Wolf. It was instant-kill Pierce and Slash damage. Scary.

The Personae I was planning to bring along for the actual fight were Orpheus, Thanatos, Messiah, Alilat, Helel, Eos, Skoll, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Satan and a few others like Odin, Jupiter and Chi You.

I teleported to the bottom where they were waiting just after I made sure the skills of my Personae were in order.

"So… you have come." Margaret snapped the compendium in her hand shut. "You thought that I wouldn't? You wound me madam." I put on a face of mock hurt, but grinned soon after. Eli-chan giggled. "It seems you still have that sharp tongue of yours… Let us…" Theo finished, "…Begin."

As soon as Theo sounded the start of the battle, Margaret started throwing shuriken-like cards at me in a flurry, while Elizabeth and Theodore started charging up a Magic spell. I easily dodged and cut through the rain of speeding cards with Charon's Claw.

Theo and Eli's eyelids fluttered open, revealing their golden eyes which were aglow with a yellow hue around the rims of their irises. A Niflheim and Ragnarok were called out simultaneously, and the two opposing elements created not only a fiery ice storm, but a coating of electricity that bound them together seamlessly. I knew I had to dodge this. Even if I have an unusually high amount of vitality, I'm not invincible to a combination spell of the calibre. Except that when I moved to dodge the maelstrom of fire and ice, I felt Margaret's presence approaching behind me quickly. As tried to jump, Margaret caught me from behind, and held me in place. So, either I use up my teleportation powers here, get hit, or...

I forced the power of Makarakarn down my arms, and a powerful gold shield forced the approaching magic back. Eli-chan's eyelids lowered and her lips upturned in satisfaction, and she nimbly dodged out of the way. Theo did the same, except he had a normal smile on.

I forced some more strength in a head blow. Margaret must have sensed it, so she slipped her hands to push my head down before I could try to escape. Theo smirked and released a Magnadyne on the ground, making raised earth spike up into dangerously sharp points. I have to get out, now. Hm… That might be a good idea. Instead of focusing Makarakarn into my arms, I forced it down my legs, and the snaking pikes of earth were Reflected back at Theo. Theo didn't anticipate this, and was pelted by the remaining rocks of the Earth attack.

Margaret's grip loosened as she was surprised by my strategy, and with that I was able to break out of the headlock she had me in.

"Heat Riser!" A warm energy encompassed my body, and with this spell I felt more nimble and agile. Well… I wasn't planning on using these two Personae, but now would be a good time as any to try it. "Raktapaksha!" An overwhelming gust of wind knocked everyone down, and left me able to follow up with a Megidoladyne attack with help from Eos.

This powerful Almighty attack wasn't anything I was expecting in particular. I was expecting a flash, a bang to go with it, but no. Grey glowing feathers descended upon the battle field, and as they made contact with the bodies of the grounded Velvet Room attendants, a grey light was released, leaving them burned and singed. Ok, so maybe there was a little flash but that was more like 'I'm a glowing fairy kind of thing' instead of a 'great spirit bomb' from Dragonball.

The siblings got up, and they all didn't seem to have sustained as much damage as I thought they would. Well, these guys were strong. What could I say? Elizabeth snapped her book shut, and shards of blue glass fell from it upon contact from the two forces.

Eh? A Helel? Wait, what a Helel!? A blast of Almighty energy coursed around the room as the angel Persona released a Morning Star. I tried to motion to move away from the impending spell, but I found that Theo and Margaret were restraining me from all angles this time. Crap.

The Morning Star spell crashed into me with an abnormal amount of force. Maybe it's because… I remember now. Elizabeth was the most powerful Magic user. Theodore, the most powerful Physical attack user, and Margaret who was the jack-of-all-trades, yet master at everything. Great. No wonder I couldn't move.

I came off slightly burned, and wind knocked out of me, but otherwise… Well, it could have been worse. "Omega Cluster!" The flashes of black and red surrounded the room, and soon enough, the hold of the youngest and oldest of the Velvet siblings was released as they recoiled in pain from the extremely powerful Dark spell.

I moved onto the actual style that I used when I was serious. I summoned Cipher and Esperacchius into my hands, the Fool sword in my metal hand, and Cipher in my right. The Velvet siblings saw this, and they flinched from the sight. I kicked off, slicing Theo.

Slashed Margaret next.

Cut Elizabeth.

I could do this eyes closed I mused. I waited for movement, waiting for Orpheus and Thanatos to react to the presences of the powerful trio. They were moving closer, and closer. I struck again, slicing all of them in the abdomen as I danced around their seemingly clumsy movements. I slipped past their defences each time, not being able to predict the movements that I was moving through. I soon noticed though… When Cipher cut through each time, a different note played, and I realised that it was playing a song.

A Vocaloid song you say? And it's called Servant of Evil?

I started to sing along to the blade's quick and clear notes which I was swinging in the same rhythm as the original song, and the siblings were becoming very distracted by my song. I knew because they seemed to be getting slower, and they weren't this slow earlier, even when I wasn't singing.

**Perhaps I'm influencing you, master?**

Maybe master of strings. Maybe.

Orpheus chuckled softly as I continued cutting through the siblings like warm butter. I want fairy bread all of a sudden. Weird. Enough about butter.

I felt a blast of Almighty energy come towards me which I sensed was Megidolaon. I swung Cipher in a large arc charging it with SP, making it glow a golden colour. The golden shield of Makarakarn guarded me from the incoming spell, sending some of the energy it caught back at the siblings. I heard the Magic crash against a wall. Seems they dodged.

Good. Because I'm actually enjoying this fight a lot right now. Nothing has ever pushed me to use this two-handed style before, except for the first time when I fought Elizabeth. Too bad I'm not eleven for her. I finally opened my eyes, and I was satisfied by the carnage I had caused so far. The once blue attendants had gold tinged black liquid staining their uniforms all over from my previous cuts.

The siblings, with the last of their strength all rose into the air together. I didn't know what was happening, but something was definitely telling me that if I got hit by this I was screwed. And I was winning so far!

I calmed myself and closed my eyes once more. I could sense them all floating around in a triangle, and I tried knocking into their spell charge. No good. I landed back on the checked floor. Dammit. They all used the Infinity spell to block my attacks which they knew would be intended to cripple their formation.

Shit.

"Mel Faize!"

"Sinner's Song!"

"Great Flood!"

They cried out their spells simultaneously.

I recognised the vicious waters of the devastating flood beginning to fill the room, and a cold melody pouring out that was so contrast to my earlier song. Lastly were the bits of shrapnel that were flying everywhere that I could hardly dodge. Mix that in with the limited space due to water, and the very mind-wracking melody, I wasn't just going to get out hurt.

This sad song was making me very dizzy, and I was unable to dodge anything at that point. Not only that, but my mind was wracking with pain. The water swamped me several times against the wall, knocking the wind out of me and further suffocating me as I was pulled under by the surging waves of water. Not to mention the bits of shrapnel that were flying at me and lodging themselves all homey-like in my skin and shredding through my clothes several times.

By the time the seething water had receded, I was almost out of energy and breath. I had to be very careful as the bits of metal that had lodged themselves were cutting through pretty deep, and there were still a few of those scattered on the floor that I absolutely did not want to be cut on. Only good thing was that the song had stopped. Thank Thanatos.

Blackness was closing in, but I was refusing to give up at this point. I still haven't tried YHVH's power yet, have I? I used an illusion to cover me as I proceeded to painfully pull the metal out. I knew that none of the siblings had used a Diarahan in this fight, so for the sake of this I didn't use one either. I created a solid illusion that was me but not injured in anyway.

The attendants were very surprised, and they collapsed to the floor. Seemed like they were spent too, even in the SP department. Unluckily for them, I still hadn't used my entire load of SP like them. I struggled up to my full height and dispelled both illusions. "So…" I walked over to them. Geez this hurts. "We done?"

Elizabeth nodded with a small smile and collapsed unconscious on the floor with that smile still painted on her face. Margaret had a satisfied smile on her visage, and she too fell unconscious. Theo was the only one to stay awake, but he seemed to be struggling to stay awake. "Come on." He nodded and pulled himself to his full height, still wobbling. I chuckled and with a lot of pain carried Elizabeth into my arms bridal style just for the funsies. Theodore chuckled a little bit, and pulled Margaret onto his shoulder. I took his hand and teleported back to the Velvet Room.

I looked up at Igor who was seated in his chair as always. "You did well Minato." It was hard to tell if he was really happy or not since he seemed to be smiling all the time. "Thanks Igor…" Oh godammit. Theo collapsed too. I feel about ready to sleep too. "Do not worry. I will take care of Margaret and Theodore. If you would kindly carry Elizabeth to her room?" I nodded wearily at him with a small smile, and mustered the strength to open the baby blue door and carry her through the corridor and lay her on her bed. Once she was settled into her bed after I took her shoes, gloves and hat off I cast a Diarahan on her, making all the sword strikes that I had inflicted disappear as if they weren't there before.

I smiled at my handiwork, and with a Diarahan on myself I slumped into the bed I was using and began to try let myself become entrapped in Hypnos' clutches. Well after this.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast transcended the bond that binds…**

**The powers of the Judgement Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**The Master Sword.**

Really? Legend of Zelda? After all this time, the one I was looking forward to looking at was one of the very last ones!? Urgh… Huh?

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast transcended the bond that binds…**

**The powers of the World Arcana bestow upon you the strength of**

**Excalibur.**

And I was wondering when that was going to show up. Had to be the last one to be more epic huh? I'll fuse them… later. For now, sleep.

_29/01/10 Dark Hour_

Looks like Minako and company are training in Monad again. Guess I better go see how they're going. I zipped down to their power signatures, and ok. Minako, Akihiko, Shinjiro and Mitsuru. All the oldies huh? I tipped my hat down, and readied Cipher.

"Rematch, huh?" Minako grinned at me. "If you wanna." As if Cipher was a baton, a chorus of crystal bells began a melody. "And if you want me to stop bothering you." I repeated the same words from before. "Actually… I have a better idea."

Akihiko and Shinjiro looked at Minako curiously, while Mitsuru eyed her with a smile. "What is it?"

"Perhaps you would like a challenge. I will increase the Shadow count for the rest of the floors here. If you're still not beat up and you're good to fight when you reach the bottom floor, then we can fight." I suggested. I found after I made that little prank, that I can control how many Shadows can appear on one floor and where they appear. Convenient ability there. That was probably why I wasn't really attacked when I was approached by the Shadows in Monad when I was messing around with Junpei, Yukari and Aigis.

"Hm…" She turned to the rest of the team, and they seemed not to have any objections. "Okay. We'll play along…" Emphasis on play. "Cool. Challenge starts when you reach the next floor down." Minako nodded to that, while Akihiko looked absolutely pumped. Shinji was neutral as always, and Mitsuru was also as calm as always.

I teleported back to the Velvet Room for a bit to find out about the max Personae from the World Arcana and… Deity and Kazuya. I was sensing an abnormal mount of power from each of these, and it made the butterflies in my stomach flutter wildly. Because, you know. I obviously eat butterflies when the main owner of the Velvet Room was the guy with the butterfly mask. Yup.

I couldn't tell exactly what Deity actually was as it was covered in an almost overwhelming amount of light. But one thing was for sure; it was an extremely powerful Persona. It had a lot of Almighty attacks on it, and a whole lot of Light attacks on it too. Not to mention it was at least strong to everything, but had a distinct affinity with Light.

Kazuya on the other hand was a knight in silver armour, with piercing cyan eyes just like mine and through its helmet… I caught sight of some blue locks. It was a kind of buster blade wielder, and had a variety of Slash attacks, with lots of Almighty attacks and an affinity with Dark attacks. It was like the direct opposite of Deity, as all its attacks were Magic attacks, while Kazuya's attacks were all Physical.

I also took the time to fuse Excalibur and the Master Sword. As if it wasn't obvious, they both had affinities with Light, but what was surprising was that one also had an affinity with Mystic, and the other with Wind. Looks like I'm set.

This is going to be fun. Time to show them who I am.

I teleported back to the basement of Monad, and after a few minutes they all appeared with their SP reserves still pretty high. "So, you ready?" I tipped my hat up and let Cipher and Excalibur form in my hands. The team nodded.

I charged towards the team, beginning my dance and closing my eyes. Minako was able to dodge my strikes flawlessly. The trick to this whole style is that I move along to the rhythm of a song. Since Minako has practised in the Concert Hall with me on several occasions… It's no wonder that she is great at music. Sorry to say that the rest weren't as lucky, Mitsuru only dodging by the skin of her teeth, Shinji not really dodging seeing as his new Persona had affinities against all the types of Physical attacks. Aki seemed to be dodging, but he was getting nicked a few times as well. So, their speed has increased. Good.

I jumped back, and opened my eyes and spread my arms to these two new Persona cards fall into my hands. Everyone was definitely sweating at this point, mostly because the Reaper is summoning a Persona, and also because why the hell are there two Personae, lastly… why are they so freaking powerful!?

I crushed the cards, and the Personae Deity and Kazuya appeared in their full glory. Deity emitted blinding amounts of Light, leaving the others stunned and opened up for the knight's attack. He charged towards the opposing team and released a Blade of Fury attack, that no-one was able to dodge. Well… Shinji didn't care.

Everyone else ended up pretty bloodied from that attack, but no-one seemed to be in critical condition. Looks like their vitality has also gone up. I grinned to myself in that respect. I released the hold of the two Persona and they dissipated in that blue mist. "Come on! You can do better than that." I taunted, and Minako grinned. "Aki! Go for it! We'll come after."

Akihiko donning a grin charged forward intending to throw some of his jabs at me. But why are they so much faster!? I couldn't dodge them, I mean, they are jabs… And they seem to have a Sukukaja spell just focused on his arms. That's crazy! Why didn't I think of that!? Ok then… I focused a Tetrakarn spell down my arms, letting my swords fall into a pocket dimension. I timed my block just right, making the force of his jab get Reflected back on him. He was blown back, but it didn't matter much because the team was coming for more.

Remember how I said Kazuya was full physical? I was lying.

"Chaos Element!"

Orbs of black, violet, red and silver formed spontaneously around the room, and exploded with a lot of force, blowing some of the SEES members around. Minako and Shinji managed to dodge, and Minako began laying on some naginata strikes on me. I managed to get out of the way for the most part, but the remaining ones nicked me and some because of Shinji who was releasing his new Persona, Hachiman to use Magnadynes to trip me up and make me get hit with the naginata.

Mitsuru joined the mix shortly after she recovered from the Dark magic attack, using Bufudynes to trap me. Akihiko had soon recovered as well, releasing a Thunder Reign to trap me for good.

**"ENOUGH!"**

Heh… thanks for helping out Kazuya. Everyone stared up at the Knight Persona, seeing that I had indeed succumbed to their attacks. It was a good show of teamwork. Kazuya nodded in response and disappeared as the SEES members stopped their vicious onslaught.

I dusted myself off, and stood up. "Great. You guys did good." I nodded at my imoto, who smiled back with a grin. I ruffled her hair and teleported back to the Velvet Room.

If that's how they're coming along… We should be sitting pretty for the fight with Nyx.

_30/01/10 Dark Hour_

"What is it that you called me for, Eli-chan?" I scratched my head as she led me to the main room.

"There is one last Weapon that you haven't seen yet, and one last Persona." I nodded. "Please take the time to discuss with my master." She bowed, and went to the Armoury to wait for me. I settled myself in the lyre-back chair and Igor began to speak. "So… I'm sorry that I didn't tell you of this before you finished the last of your Social Links a few weeks ago… But, I'll tell you of this now." I nodded. Who cares, it wasn't like I was doing anything in particular except for messing with the police.

Igor chuckled. "Because of your prowess… I wish to confer upon you… this." A colourless mask fell from the sky, and I'll say sky because the Velvet Room doesn't exactly have a ceiling. "This is the Cipher's Mask. When you completed your Social Links, you had to wear many masks… This is what we were told to give by Philemon when you gained all the power available from your Social Links."

The glassy mask fell into my hands, and I began to run my fingers along the contours of the mask. It was very beautiful… "What Persona will result from this…? I do wish to see when you fuse it yourself. "

I grinned. "Why don't we find out now?" As if his grin couldn't get any wider… I placed the glass mask on the table, and the Personae I needed to use for this… Orpheus huh? I summoned Orpheus, and he nodded as he returned to his card state. I placed next to the mask, and Igor performed his magic.

An extremely bright flash of light that I had never encountered from a Fusion formed, and from it, Orpheus appeared again, but he looked very different.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**I am Orpheus, Master of Strings…**

**I return.**

Orpheus Crescendo was his name. His body was coloured a shade of dark black, but his metallic joints stayed the same. His eyes were golden, his scarf was white, and his hair was about the same shade of blue that my hair was. And… he's strong against everything, including Almighty. Awesome.

His form disappeared in white mist, and he returned to the front of my mind.

"Wonderful… Normally, I would have expected something such as Orpheus Telos… But Crescendo… The power to keep growing in power as time goes on." He nodded in approval. "As what I would expect from such a wonderful guest."

"Aww, at this rate you might make me blush." He was tickled from that statement, and that was when I left for the Armoury.

Eli-chan was waiting, and she gestured me to the anvil. Why are all of the weapons that I fused here? I looked up at her with questioning eyes. She giggled and began to explain. "You remember when I said that you could fuse Cipher again when you gave it its skills? I didn't way that it was limited to one sword, did I?" My eyes widened in shock. That was what you wanted me to do!? "All you have to do is fuse all these swords in the order of the Arcana that they represent."

I nodded.

I heated all of the blades, and started.

Esperacchius. Brisingr. Fidelacchius. Iceflame. Lightning. Subtle Knife. Amoracchius. Rhindon. Irving. Dark Sword. Possible Sword. Doomgiver. Weaveshear. Blackwand. Icingdeath. Charon's Claw. Tempest. Sword of Truth. Sommerswerd. Vorpal Sword. Master Sword. Excalibur.

When I finished smashing in Excalibur, a gold light was shot out from the once glass Cipher. The sword itself started glowing, and it separated into two lights. Once the light faded, two swords were left. The blade was like glass, just like Cipher was, but the hilts looked decidedly different. The hilts were a shiny dark black, and the crossbar that went across was silver, with a black gem embedded in it.

I swung the two swords in succession, and they too carried the melody-making power that Cipher had. Oh if that disappeared, I would be very disappointed indeed.

"It looks… amazing." Eli-chan whispered. "And it's power is incredible…" Oh god it has every OP spell possible. Most of them anyway. Nova Kaiser and Omega Cluster weren't on there. Leave that to my Personae I guess. Thanatos chuckled, and Messiah laughed a little too. "It doesn't have a name." I looked up from the two blades, and towards Eli-chan. "A sword needs a name. What are you thinking?"

Memories came back rushing to me at that moment. Okaa-san… It was like when she gave me the sword she fused with Jack Frost to me. Focus… Minato.

"Mukou Mugen."

Elizabeth looked me with a smile. "That suits it. 'Beyond Infinite.' Just like you." My cheeks started heating up. I'm really blushing. Dammit. I jinxed myself when I said that to Igor didn't I? I rubbed the back of my head. "Thank you, Elizabeth."

By some force of nature, she too started blushing. "Y-you're welcome…" She scooted out of the room. Welp, that was awkward.

I'm going to have to test the rest of the team now. After I practise singing. I walked to the Concert Hall, and like I wanted, there was a microphone and an electric guitar and Minako.

_You'll find it hiding in shadows…_

_You'll find it hiding in cupboards…_

_It will walk you home safe every night…_

_It will help you remember…_

_If that's the way it is, then that's the way it is… If that's the way it is, then that's the way it is… (X2)_

_I still feel you, and the taste of cigarettes _

_What could I ever run to?_

_Just tell me it's tearing you apart…_

_Just tell me you cannot sleep…_

_If that's the way it is, then that's the way it is… If that's the way it is, then that's the way it is… _

_And you didn't even notice when the sky turned blue _

_And you couldn't tell the difference between me and you _

_And I nearly didn't notice the gentlest feeling…_

_The gentlest feeling (X4)_

_You are the bluest light… (X8)_

"Minato?" She questioned as I walked up to the stage that she was standing on. It's been a long time since she's called me by 'Minato.' It was kind of strange hearing it from her again. From her face, I don't think that she intended to call me by that either. "Minako…" I said with a smile.

* * *

AN: Chapter, done! Sorry if I left on a tiny bit of a cliff-hanger, but I thought it would be a good place to leave it. Welp, Minato's finally got everything that he needs to face Nyx, so be ready for that in the next chapter! I will make it as epic as I can muster, and there will be some other things I'll put in too.

And I hope the name's that I gave his new stuff wasn't too crap, since I'm kinda bad of thinking of names for stuff. They usually come off pretty cheesey. I should be able to update even a little faster because school's finally out! HELLZ YEAH. So look forward to that.

Plz review and no flames!


	11. Beginning the Start

_30/01/10 Dark Hour_

"Whatcha doing here?" Minako dropped her microphone into the stand and went over to meet me. "I was just thinking of practising a bit, but since you're here I wanted to ask something." She nodded with a bright smile and motioned for me to continue. "Who are you bringing for training today?" She pulled a smirk as she realised what I was doing. "I'm planning to bring the people who didn't train yesterday. You're planning to test them again?" I nodded. "Ok. Then… The arrangement will be with Yukari as the leader. I'm planning to watch, since you already tested me, onii-chan." She winked and left the Concert Hall after we came to our agreement.

The electric guitar and microphone were nowhere to be seen, and a gold lyre replaced them. I picked it up, and started playing on it 'Romeo and Cinderella' on it. I don't particularly care for the lyrics, but… Ok we all know that's a lie. I chuckled to myself as I set the harp down and headed for the floor of Monad that the team was training on now. With a snap of my fingers I landed down in the Thebel Block lookalike, and observed the shocked faces that the members were donning.

"Hello." I waved and Minako smirked. "It's going to be the same as before?" I nodded, and teleported down to the basement. After a few minutes, the team that included Yukari, Junpei, Koromaru and Aigis appeared, with Minako following after them. "Are you ready?"

Minako looked to the team who shot her determined looks and she gave me a thumbs up. "Ok." I drew Mukou Mugen from a pocket dimension and charged towards the team intending to test their speed. I began to swing to the melody of the Vocaloid song 'Remote Control.' Aigis readily began to dodge out of the way, and Koromaru was jumping all over the place. Speedy dog.

Junpei wasn't supposed to be the fast type, so he settled on blocking my swings almost pushing me back. Impressive that. Yukari was trying something different though, and it was unlike anything I had seen. A Garudyne spell was beginning to form around her, probably as a counter to my speed. Coolness.

Vitality. I summoned Kazuya and Deity again, this time firing off a Freildyne that blasted everyone to the ground when the Nuclear energy washed over them. Kazuya began with his onslaught, attacking with multiple Vorpal Sword attacks bringing most members to their knees leaving only Aigis and Junpei standing. But they weren't at least seriously injured. Ok then. Aigis and Junpei charged towards me, the robot using her Persona to throw a God's Hand at me, while Junpei used fire manipulation with his new Persona to trap me.

"Omega Cluster!" The dark energy blew them back, and I readied a Megidoladyne to fall upon them. The feathers made contact with their trembling bodies, but thankfully the fight wasn't over yet as Yukari, Junpei and Koromaru began a combination spell. Yellow and blue Agidynes combined, being empowered by the wind that Yukari was feeding it. I channelled a Makarakarn down my fist, and punched the powerful Fire spell back. Junpei jumped in front, having an edge against Fire attacks, and cut the fire in half with a powerful slash attack on his part. I dodged the incoming slash attack, and pulled my revolvers out to fire off Aquary Tide attacks at them. Junpei didn't anticipate this, and was hit brutally by the Water attack.

It was at this time that Aigis also activated a Marakukaja to increase everyone's defences, making it so Junpei wasn't hit with the full effects of it. If he was, I think he would have been knocked out, and out of the battle for a good while. Props to you white maiden, I grinned to myself.

"Nova Kaiser!" Of course, because of this defence boost, it wasn't as strong as it could be, but it was enough to knock them down for a bit. Koromaru in particular was very affected by it, seeing as was weak against Light.

Aigis came charging to me straight after, hitting me with a Tarunda. I cursed under my breath, and she began to pepper bullets on me. I settled on dodging them, the remaining ones being cut open by my sword strikes. Again Yukari and Koromaru tried that combination again, but Junpei instead was throwing Deathbound attacks at me willy-nilly.

**"STOP!"**

Deity appeared to announce the end of the battle, and the constant wave of attacks stopped. He disappeared in that blue mist and I started to silently cast a Mediarahan spell on all of us with Alilat's power. All of our wounds disappeared, and I was about to snap my fingers when Minako stopped me with a shout, "Wait!"

She ran over to me, and stopped just short of me. Yukari and Junpei looked particularly confused, Aigis neutral, and Koromaru yipping happily. She whispered into my ear. "Have you been holding back all this time?" I ruffled her hair. I breathed softly into her ear, "Yes…" I released the hold I had on her head, and said at my normal speaking volume, "But no-one needs to know that. Yet." Minako nodded slowly, I snapped my fingers before she could say anything more.

I've been holding back huh? Maybe so. But if I went full force, I can't imagine what would happen. Monad would collapse I mused. Ok that was a joke but whatever.

_31/01/10 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

Today was the day. This was the day when I shed my mask for good, and the day where we prepare for the battle with Nyx… Alice.

I sighed. If this turmoil of emotions keeps me from fighting back I'll never forgive myself. With that in mind I teleported to the penultimate floor of Tartarus where I found everyone, waiting. Instantly, everyone was on their guard, probably thinking something along the lines of 'what the fuck is the Reaper doing here?' I waved to them, and they were all shooting me suspicious looks, aside from Minako, Mitsuru and Koromaru. "Hey, hey I'm not here to fight." I tried to calm them down, but obviously it wasn't working as Junpei tried to ready his sword. Mitsuru came forward, and… well. That wasn't what I was expecting.

We broke out of the kiss that she initiated and began to remove the bloodied bandages from my face. The red and white ribbons fell to the floor, revealing my ocean blue hair. Minako smirked at the dumb founded reactions of the remaining SEES members.

"Wait, wait, wait! So all this time, the Reaper that we've been fighting… was senpai this whole time!?" Junpei pointed to me. Minako nodded vigorously. "And you knew that?" Yukari turned to my imoto who flinched from Yukari's deadpan expression.

"Minato. What the hell man?" Aki folded his arms as if he was trying to be angry, but he just couldn't stay frustrated at me. "You know how stupid you were acting? Right?" Shinjiro narrowed his eyes at me. I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly and replied, "It could have been worse though." Fuuka had fainted into Aigis' arm who was trying to get her to wake up in a humorous fashion. "Here, let me help…"

I placed a small Aques spell over her face and she woke up from the cold water that washed over her. "Oh Minato! I'm so glad you're safe…" I teleported a face towel into her hand for her to use, and Junpei began to look at me all shocked again, probably wondering how I did that.

"Care to explain your actions for the last four weeks?" Aki began.

"Um… I'm an idiot?" I asked uncertainly. "No! I meant the constant pranks and attacks that you did while we were in MONAD of all places!" I began to twiddle my thumbs as I searched for an answer. Bullets of sweat were pouring down my face as I thought of an excuse for the first attack that I gave to Aigis, Yukari, Junpei and Minako. "Fine… I'll admit I was just doing that first one for funsies…" Minako was deadpanning at me and Yukari was fuming. Aigis looked at me questioningly. "What is this 'funsies' you speak of?"

I pretty much slapped my forehead at this point, and explained to her that funsies was just a funny way to say fun. "Ah… I see." She mulled over it for the remaining few minutes, and I began throwing wireless earpieces to everyone. "What the heck are these for?" Shinjiro asked as he tentatively put one of them in his ears.

"Because I have some music I want everyone to listen to when we fight the boss." Junpei cackled with laughter as I made that comparison. "Ohh… Nyx, the final boss of a video game!? Yeah. Right!" It could happen, I muttered to myself. "Better be good Minato." Akihiko grinned as he slipped the earpieces into his ears.

Yeah, having as much yen as I do raises a question: what the hell are you going to do with over three billion yen?

"Onii-chan's song selection is the best." Minako smiled as she too slipped the pieces into her ears. "So, are we ready?" I asked everyone.

With a unified 'yeah' and bark, we ran to the top of Tartarus.

Warm breezes flew by as we made our way up here. The moon was impossibly big, taking up almost the entire sky that we stood under. Now, we wait. After a few seconds of waiting, a black figure began to fall from the sky.

This figure was black all over, save for its white mask which donned a smile almost as creepy as Igor's. It looked quite feminine overall, with a black feathery gown, and long gloves that covered up its seemingly white skin. Behind it, were two pairs of black wings, and on its head was a crown-like thing that floated just above its head. And… that's a big sword.

"Alice!" Fuuka called out, trying to confirm. "That was my name for a while. I did not mind it."

"Did not mind it? That was the name you picked for yourself… You know how confusing it was when I got Alice as a Persona?" I muttered to myself. "Well… It seems you have come for a bout. Then, come." She fluttered her wings, pushing us all back a little. It was at this moment that I turned the music on with a press of a button. "Do you expect me to say some funny lines before we fight?" Is she really asking that? I think I might've influenced her too much. "Wouldn't that just break the flow of the battle?"

"Ah. Ok I'll just do two." Minako was looking at me very curiously. "What did you do to her?" I put my hands up in a defensive position, "Hey, is it really my fault?" She giggled and looked back up to Nyx. Or at least… the avatar I guess. "The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate. Entrusting his fate to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…" She's psyching us up, huh? "Guys! Half of you split up! I'm sensing Shadows coming from below!" Without any argument, Yukari took Junpei, Koromaru and Aigis, while the remainder approached Nyx.

I summoned Mukou Mugen, and began to strike at the Avatar. "Fuuka! If there are any changes in her power, let us know!" She nodded quickly, and summoned Juno ready to help. No weaknesses… For now. Minako soon joined the fray, performing deadly arcs with her naginata. Akihiko began to wail electrified uppercuts that soon turned to wolf fangs as he also started to throw downer cuts at her. Mitsuru and Shinjiro began to hack and smash at the Avatar, before Fuuka called out for a change.

"Don't use Fire attacks!"

I pulled out my revolvers, jumped and shot Nyx square in the face with Bloody Honeymoon spells, making her recoil from the blow of Water. Mitsuru and Minako were performing Bufudynes and Niflheims at Nyx's feet, so when Akihiko and Shinjiro pushed her back with Gigantic Fists she toppled over the edge of Tartarus.

But, it's not as if this battle was made any easier. I think it may have made it even harder. Because once she was pushed off the edge she started flying, and I didn't know how I could get everyone over there. I mean, I would be fine but the others don't have flying Personae like I do.

"Thanatos!" I jumped on the Death god's back, and while he was slashing away at her with Brave Blades I was summoning Orpheus Crescendo and playing Mass Destruction from the opposite direction, sending her spiraling towards the tower of Tartarus. "Minako! Let me do this alone!" She hesitated, and I was fully expecting her to say no, but she actually complied and led the others to start helping Yukari fight back the Shadows that were encroaching into our territory.

"Alice. It's just you and me now." She nodded, and brandished her blade, locking me in a fight for dominance of power. As it was standing, nothing was happening as we clashed blades, forcing me to summon Orpheus and fire Grydynes in my area, using the gravity pull to force my swords to her side. "You've been getting pretty strong I see." I grinned, and used Jupiter's power to force her sword out of the way for good.

With that, Thanatos actually started speaking while he continued to slash at her using multiple Brave Blades. **"This better be the end, mother."** Nyx flew further up into the sky after hearing his response, allowing us more space as we were getting crushed into the structure of Tartarus. Thanatos zipped for her, but Nyx had the upper hand this time, literally.

"Don't use Ice attacks! The previous weakness is gone!"

"So, do you guys like the song?" I grinned as Thanatos and I recovered from our fall and made distance between us and Nyx. "Great song choice onii-chan!" Minako replied through the earpiece. "But doesn't this only suit you now senpai?" Yukari asked with a playful tone. "No… This song is called the Battle for Everyone's Souls. It's not just for me. It's a song…"

I charged forward, and knocked Nyx out of the sky and crashing down into another structure in Tartarus. "For all of us." I plunged my swords into Nyx's chest, and like I thought, gold Ichor began to dribble out of the wound. I drew Mukou Mugen and released an Omega Cluster Spell. We were both blasted up into the sky once more, and Fuuka called out once more.

"Wind attacks are useless!"

Thank you Fuuka. I let my swords fall into a pocket dimension, and readied my fists with Makarakarn spells. Meanwhile, the Avatar was charging up several Garudynes spells as tornadoes, and some Panta Rheis even. One by one, she threw them at me while I forced the spiralling wind maelstroms back. Better idea.

I used Ragnaroks on the incoming wind tornadoes, absorbing them and making the Fire attack more powerful. And this attack wasn't a Wind attack now. The broiling white flames left Nyx singed with the powerful heat, and instead she charged for me brandishing her sword once again, clashing with my now Tetrakarn empowered fists.

The Physical power was knocked back to her, and she recoiled from the force. She must have packed quite a bit of power into that one.

"Don't use Zio!"

"Alright." I commanded Thanatos to unleash as many Omega Clusters as he could muster, and black and red flashes of the Dark Spell collided with Nyx with incredible force. "Orpheus!" With that, he started playing along to the melody that was now playing in our ears, and Nyx was definitely affected by the notes of hope that were coming through his lyre. "Curse you master of strings…" Nyx recovered from her fall and began to throw bolts of Ziodyne, leaving me only to dodge as much as I can. I couldn't change Persona to Odin since I was standing on Thanatos.

**"Come on! Mother, you know you can do better than that!" **The Death god taunted and it appeared that she fell for it as she stopped her magical onslaught and tried to charge for us again. **"Moonless Gown!" **Huh? Looks like his independent will's coming out here… Eh, it's that shield spell so it's fine.

Thanatos roared as the shield spell knocked Nyx back.

"Don't use Strike attacks!"

The milky white haze disappeared, and Nyx came back for more with a Fatal End attack that I wasn't expecting. Thanatos and I were sent spiralling to a structure this time, and we were on the receiving end. You could imagine how much that hurt. "Rrgh…" I jumped back on top of Thanatos who didn't seem to be quite in it as well. "You ok?" I asked as he rose back into the air. **"Don't underestimate me boss. I'm fine."**

I nodded and flew back up to Nyx, beginning to dance my way through her defences and scoring several openings for Ichor to pour out. "You know I don't really want to fight you right? We're friends." Nyx nodded, and began to try and fight back against my deadly dance. Thanatos nodded as well and made an Omega Cluster spell, sending Nyx crashing into the summit at full force.

The SEES members heard the crash, and Minako summoned Eurydice to play through a remix of The Battle For Everyone's Souls, so I summoned Orpheus Crescendo to do the same. Nyx was severely weakened by the song of hope, filled with the determination of the human spirit leaving her open for…

Thanatos drew out his sword from the Avatar's stomach, leaving a trail of Ichor on the ground. Gold liquid was dribbling out of the new wound, and that was when Fuuka called out once again.

"No wind!"

Again? Oh wait. Lovers? Charm? Thanatos, please don't get hit by her Holy Arrows, please! The Death god chuckled in response, and with that, we kicked Nyx off the tower again. That actually looks kinda funny. But then she started flying and yeah. White bolts formed around her, and I knew she was getting ready to use Holy Arrows like I predicted. Thanatos… We have to dodge this at all costs. I'm not taking any chances to get hit with things that Charm.

**"I know!" **Unlike any speed that I've felt Thanatos go at, she appeared behind Nyx and used an Omega Cluster spell to blast her off to the side. The Avatar turned to face us, and started readying Holy Arrows again. Once the bolts started speeding towards us, we zipped around her again, and she crashed into the bolts with a Brave Blade attack.

"No Physical attacks whatsoever!"

Oh now that's troublesome. Thanatos. How long do you think you can keep up a barrage of Omega Clusters? **All night long. Your SP reserves are so huge I don't even wanna argue with it. **And you Messiah, with Nova Kaisers? He chuckled a bit. **As ready as Thanatos is. **Orpheus, can you start playing that song again? **As you wish.**

Alright. Flashes of black and white light mixed together, and adding this weakening song to the mix wasn't going to give her much of a chance to avoid damage. The barrage of Light and Dark hit her hard. Harder than all the other times that she was hit by these spells. Is that a Power Charge I see? So that's how she's playing…

Using the power from her earlier charging spell, Nyx unleashed a God's Hand at me that I absolutely did not want to get hit by. **I hear ya boss. **With that agreement, he flew out of the way of the otherwise devastating Strike attack. With one final Nova Kaiser from Messiah, she moved to her next phase.

"Agi, Bufu and Light are useless!"

Aww, talk about putting a wrench in someone's plans. Welp, keep on with the Omega Clusters. **You got it. **Sorry Messiah, but you might have to take a backseat for this one. **Perfectly fine. Remember you have a lot of other Personae than just us three you know. **I haven't forgotten. "Kazuya!" The knight appeared in blue mist, seemingly ready.

**"You summoned thee. What is thy command?" **Ok. Vorpal Sword everything. How long can you hold it? **"As long as the rest of the night." ** The silver knight chuckled a bit, and started raising hell as he charged forward, snicker-snack attack in hand. Now I want Snickers. Great. **Oh oh! I want Snickers! **Yes Jack Frost. I'm sure.

With one final slash from the buster blade wielder's Vorpal Sword attack, the next phase was initiated.

"No Wind, once again!"

She must really not like Wind I guess. Sorry Norn. **It is fine. **Welp, I charged forwards on Thanatos again readying a Freildyne spell. Haven't used one of these in a while. The blast of red and blue collided with a Mudoon attack, which easily by-passed it and hit Nyx. I jumped off Thanatos as she was still recovering, and latched onto her head. I equipped Thor in my mind, using his Physical affinities to my advantage.

With that, I swung Nyx over my head and threw her to the ground soon using a Grydyne to help me get down there faster, and making Nyx's collision with the ground have more force. I whipped out Mukou Mugen once again, and plunged the two swords into her torso again. Not taking a chance for her to recover and attack me again right there, I summoned Thanatos once again and took to the air.

"No types of Elemental Magic!"

"What about Almighty?"

"Umm, you should be fine."

Cool. Because I'm summoning Helel. Thanatos chuckled at my supposed cunning, and positioned himself so that I could fire Morning Stars at the fallen Avatar, who was just now bouncing back from the swords in stomach incident. The barrage of Almighty energy was definitely affecting her, and it wasn't easy for her to come back up into the sky again.

I used Eos' powers this time, using a Megidoladyne to finish off this phase for good. I also made some of the feathers fall into the area where my friends were fighting. The grey feathers exploded leaving Nyx singed, and a few seconds after was when I heard shrieks of Shadows coming from below.

"No types of Physical Attacks!"

"Hey Nyx! I've noticed that you've been going through all the Arcana. Strength now right?" Nyx nodded slightly as I passed by her with an Agidyne empowered fist. "Why aren't you just skipping to your real Arcana!?" She blocked my Ziodyne covered fist. "Why? Are you going to make me?" I snickered at this. "Well, I could." I threw another fist, covered in absolute zero. "If you wish."

"Myriad Truths!"

A surge of SP echoed through the area, and Fuuka informed me of this.

"Her true Arcana is Death!"

"As I thought… Alice." I charged for her again, locking swords with her. "You expected anything less?" She tried to push me back with a Power Charge. "No." Thanatos flew back, and rapid fired Omega Clusters at her.

"But, just to let you know."

Nyx recoiled from the Dark blows.

"What?"

I clashed against her with my swords again.

"Your Arcana doesn't mean anything."

I pushed her back, sending her spiraling to towards the summit.

"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed. Right?" I stood over her body waiting for an answer.

"One last thing. The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate. Entrusting his fate to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yet the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed."

It wasn't something I was expecting. Not at all. Just like the first time. Nyx you bitch.

I clutched my bleeding shoulder, and god this fucking hurts. Diarahan can't heal this.

"Shit…" Dammit, blood loss.

"Onii-chan!" Minako ran over to me holding me up in her arms. She glared at the Avatar, and unleashed Eurydice again. But it looked different… Wait, it ascended!?

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**From the sea of thy soul, I cometh…**

**I am Eurydice, Mistress of Strings…**

**I return.**

"No-one hurts my onii-chan like this! Not like this!" She unleashed Eurydice on Nyx, bashing her to the ground with a Megidolaon. "No! Not again!" Mitsuru approached Nyx with an icy expression, and brought a Niflheim down on the Avatar. "Minato…" The Diarahan won't get my arm back, but it'll stop the blood loss at least.

"Minato!" Akihiko ran to Nyx with a deadly uppercut, spraying Ichor all over the ground.

"Idiot!" Shinjiro came back next, smashing Nyx's head in with a strike of his axe. He glanced at me with a grin, and I couldn't help but grin back.

"Senpai!" Junpei and Yukari were running towards me next, Junpei sending white flames at the Avatar with Yukari feeding the already powerful flames with a Panta Rhei.

"No! Don't you dare! You've already caused too much pain to them already!" With a God's Hand from Pallas Athena, Nyx was knocked to the ground once again. Aigis began to pepper bullets at the fallen figure. Koromaru wanted to help, but he was the only one left to deal with the incoming Shadows.

"Enough!" The Nyx Avatar stood up looking unruffled by the devastating attacks given by my friends.

"Such a pity. You understand fate, yet you fight against it with all of your will. Perhaps if more people were like you, the Fall could have been prevented…" They were almost the same world that Alice said when she told us about Nyx. "But, it's too late now…"

The moon that loomed above us cracked open, revealing a strange red eye. Screams began to erupt from the bottom of Tartarus, and… WHAT THE HELL IS THIS FORCE!?

Minako and I were forced to the ground, unable to move. It was like that dream I had… No. I can't let this happen… Even at the cost of my life. I promised Minako that she would be safe, always. This will not **happen…**

In my mind with a whooshing noise, I found myself being whisked away to the Velvet Room. I woke up, sitting in the chair that I usually sat in. But why am I back in my SEES uniform? I looked up, and Philemon was waiting for me.

And my arm… It's back. "Do not worry. You are safe in here for now." I shook my head to clear up my vision and breathed out a sigh of relief. "What do you need me for now?"

"I wish to give you a chance. Using the power that you have gathered… I wish to give you this." A white card fell into my hands, and I couldn't even begin to sense the amount of power that was coming from it. "But Philemon… If I use this…I'll…" I looked up at him through my clouded vision, becoming distorted with tears.

"I know. That's why… This is only to get you ready for the real final battle. Enjoy your 'last moments' for now." I stood up from the chair and turned my back on Philemon. "I'll see you later, in another time." With that, I was whisked back to Tartarus the moon looming over me. "Nyx." I managed to stand up even under the overwhelming pressure that everyone was subjected to.

"You don't get to decide the fate of the world. So what if some of us have death wishes? It's not like everyone is like that. I was once like that." I clutched my arm which was once gone, but back once again. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure this end is done."

I felt myself being lifted up into the air, the protests of my friends filling the night sky.

"So, are we going to fight?" Thanatos, Messiah and Orpheus' powers were letting me rise into the sky, the power of the Universe Arcana also giving me strength.

I was swallowed up into darkness, into Nyx's realm.

Her form looked so weak… She took the form of an egg. It's ironic really. The end of the world is being brought down by something that represents new life. "Hey Nyx." I started pacing around as she tried to cast Death on me, though it wasn't really doing anything much.

"If Death is the end…why are there more Arcana after that?" There was a small pause before she started to throw down more Death spells on me.

"You know? Because… Death isn't even the end. It's the end to something, the beginning to another. That's why… Doing this is meaningless." I punched the egg all the ways to Sunday, and boy was it satisfying. "So… Hope you like goodbyes." I punched Nyx down one more time, and the dimension I was pulled into disappeared, and I was back above Tartarus.

"So, we ready to settle this?" No answer. "Fine." Thanatos, Messiah and Orpheus appeared, and one by one, their most powerful spells began to rain down on the egg. "Guys! Get out of the way!" Minako and my friends moved out of the way, clinging to the edge spires. With a final Grydyne, Nyx shattered the summit of Tartarus, flinging all sorts of carnage everywhere. All the rubble blasted from the building, and I punched her down even more. Through to Adamah, Harabah, Tziah, Arqa, Thebel and finally Monad.

"And stay down." I delivered the final beat down, and Nyx crashed into the basement. "What have you got to say for yourself?" Nyx's egg form transformed into a feminine figure, with long flowing raven hair, and a white gown. She was unbelievably beautiful. "I see that the will for humanity to live is quite strong. But… what does that make the rest of the human race?"

Snap. "You know I could just kill you right here? Right?" She flinched from that revelation. "How…"

"Zeus is one clever bitch. You know that? You want me to?" I asked, as a silver aura began to surround my hand. "No… unfortunately. There's only one thing to do now."

My eyebrow was raised a little bit, and I was fully questioning what the hell she was talking about.

Everything around turned white, and why am I on a train? Ok I'm listening to Burn My Dread. I get that.

I checked the time and date on my player and…

_07/04/09 11:55pm_

What?

I looked around to see if I have any company, and what? Minako isn't here? No way… Wait… Who's that blue-haired kid? Ugh… Enough about that.

So what? I prevented the Fall, but now I'm sent back in time? But I don't remember riding on a monorail ever. I took my freaking bicycle, what the fuck is happening!? Unless…

Shit. She sent me to an alternate timeline. No. Fucking. Way.

I heard the P.A speak, and it said that I was getting off at Iwatodai…

I guess I better get going to the dorm if that's where I think he's going. I stood up from my seat, and get ready to leave. The bluenette took the other way instead since he was closer to the other side. It was good, because if this guy is who I think it is… That is Minato. Me.

I kept avoiding him even as the Dark Hour fell. To this I say, all work for nothing. I soon just decided that I would teleport to the dorm, since why the heck not. I arrived at the dorm, and who the hell is that boy in prison clothing?

I'm sensing the same presence as Alice though. Maybe since this is an alternate universe and stuff… The form of Death here is different. "Huh? You look…" The blue eyed boy looked me up and down, and he gasped slightly. "Who are you? You can't be who I'm waiting for…" I held up my hand for him to stop.

"That's because I'm not who you're waiting for. He's going to come here soon." I pointed to the slight shadow that fell across the doors of the dorm. He narrowed his eyes at me, but he stopped when the doors started cracking open. I quickly cast an illusion on myself, hiding me from view.

"Hello. I've been waiting a long time for you." The Minato in front of me looked at the boy questioningly. "Really? Sorry…" The child giggled. "Please sign your name here." A red booklet with a paper inside it appeared, along with a pen. "It's a contract. Don't worry. All it says is that you'll take full responsibility for your actions." Death twirled his hand around. "You know…" Minato's eyebrow raised a little. "The usual stuff."

Minato shrugged, and took up the pen in his hand. Oh man, how I wanted to go and sign it myself. I didn't want this Minato to bear this pain all on his own like I did. But… This is his decision. I shouldn't interfere. He finished signing his name, and yup. His name was Arisato Minato. What am I supposed to be doing here then…?

The Dark Hour soon ended, and… hey. I didn't bother to check my bag for anything did I? Well, all my yen is still there. My three billion yen… The things that I could do. I found two hilts, black and silver they were, with a black gem embedded in it. Mukou Mugen was still there. Thank Thanatos. You there?

**Yes, and I am extremely tired. You know how you used me today!? You are heavy, I hope you know that.**

Spunky as ever I see. I chuckled, and checked my bag further. My Velvet Room clothes are still there, and the revolvers… Hmm… Driver's license from wallet says I am… Yuki Makoto? I guess I'll take that name. I guess I say. And I am seventeen like the last time. I sighed, and dispelled the illusion to make a new one that looked like me coming through the door.

Messiah. What do you think of all this? And Orpheus too.

**I honestly don't know. But something tells me that you are going to play a different role in this after all.**

**I truly worry… That's all I can say. **

I should have known… But, this isn't anything I can fix right now. Even with Universe powers… I can't time travel unless the Velvet Room helps me or something. I wonder what's going to happen in the Velvet Room this time.

Footsteps bounded down from above, and it was Yukari. Pink as ever. "Who's there!?" She questioned moving her hand just above the gun holster. Minato stood still, probably worried about what her hand was hovering over. I however was one to stay calm. I sighed, and sat myself on the table waiting for anything else to happen. "Hello." I waved my hand at Yukari.

Oh she's so different… Minako definitely influenced her. She wasn't like this before. "I'm Yuki Makoto. Apparently I'm supposed to be staying here." Yukari glanced over to Minato, who hadn't yet introduced himself. No doubt stunned by the appearance of the gun that she was starting to wrap her fingers around.

"Takeba!" Mitsuru came down the stairs, and she was as beautiful as ever. Yet in her eyes, was a kind of empty look that I had never seen before… Oh Thanatos… I can't believe it. Is this alternate reality supposed to torment me further? I kept as much of a calm façade in her presence as I could. It wasn't easy I tell you. I could swear my mask was cracking in a few places.

"It's alright." She said in her calm and elegant voice. Minato gulped a little, and struggled to introduce himself. "Um… I'm Arisato Minato. Nice to meet you…" Is he blushing a little? Better not be at Mitsuru. Well, actually… what the hell. It's not like this is my timeline anyway.

"H-hey…" Yukari stammered. "Umm… I hope you don't mind me by asking, but why do you both look so similar?" She pointed at the two of us. How to get out of this one? I dunno. I settled for shrugging and Minato did the same, not really knowing how to react. Huh. This timeline's Minato is so different from me… And something tells me that he has this empty feeling… This nihilism that he's resigned himself to. I don't know… It was getting even harder for me to keep my act up. "So… Can I go to my room now? I'm kinda tired." I looked over at Minato, who seemed to agree. It seems he's the silent type who doesn't speak unless spoken to. Mitsuru merely smiled and told Yukari to lead us up to our rooms.

She shot her a hostile look that was barely noticeable, but put up a cheerful façade as she 'happily' led us to our dorm rooms. "Um, Makoto-san…" I held up my hand to stop her. "It's just Makoto." She relaxed visibly and explained that she'd rather not talk about what happened last night, and that we should keep it to ourselves. Minato's room was just across from mine, at the end of the hall. "Thank you." Minato thanked Yukari, and I gave her a peace sign instead as I settled into my room.

Oh this is going to be a long year… I looked up at the corners, fan and lights, trying to figure out what I should do about them. I knew exactly where they were since when I was Mitsuru when SEES was first starting out, she got me to help observe if our candidates had the potential. Not something I'm proud of, but… You know. You do what you've gotta do.

I decided not to do anything since it really did no harm and I didn't care much about it at this point. But… I'm going to wake up early tomorrow, and I'm getting to make breakfast. If I'm going to be spending another year reliving this adventure with these differences… I might as well try to make it as pleasant as possible. For everyone involved.

_08/04/10 Early Morning_

Like I said I was going to, I woke up at about six and started to pretty much cook some egg eyes closed and toasting stuff at the same time. Burn my bread suckers. Ok not really. I wouldn't do that that to anyone here. Maybe Junpei if he's an ass again. Burnt bread for all. Stop that.

"Hey." That voice I recognised all too well addressed me from behind. "Oh morning… Going out for a bit?" I asked not all too sleepy from yesterday. "How'd you know?" Akihiko asked with a grin. "Just looked like you were going out, that's all. Here, happy birthday." I threw him a piece of toast with some butter on it, and he caught mid-air. "Thanks. Well. I'll be going. I'm Sanada Akihiko. But you can just call me Akihiko or Aki if you want." I grinned. "Sure Aki. I'm Yuki Makoto, but you can just call me Makoto."

He nodded with a grin, and left for his morning run. Damn training junkie.

Mitsuru came down next in her freaking pyjamas, seemingly attracted by the smell of fresh toast and egg. "Ah. Good morning Yuki-san." She rubbed her eyes a little and approached me. "Hello Kirijo-san. Feel like anything? And also… You can just call me Makoto. Calling me by my last name makes me feel kind of awkward." She flinched from my request, but soon recovered. "Ah well… I'll have some of that egg and toast… Makoto…san." It was clear she was not used to calling someone by their first name so informally. It only further solidified that I was in a different timeline… "Okay." I grabbed a plate and placed the egg on toast on it. "Umm… just wondering something."

Mitsuru turned to face me as she took a bite from her toast. "Are you going to change out of those?" Come to think of it, I should probably get a hair tie now and tie my hair up. Lord knows it's just going to look awkward if I have my hair out all the time. She blushed and as calmly as she could, walked back to her room to get changed. I chuckled a little at that.

Mitsuru came down a few minutes later fully dressed in her uniform and considerably flushed. She ate her toast quickly, and left for the doors in a hurry. "For the record… you can call me by my first name." I grinned at that. "'Kay. Mitsuru-san." She was surprised by how readily her name rolled off my tongue. When I've called someone that for about four years… I'd think that I'd know her name very well. "Bye!"

She nodded slowly, and left the dorm. What am I going to do with you Mitsuru?

Yukari and Minato came down next, Yukari dragging him by the collar. He is one heavy sleeper. There's only one way I know how to get someone like him out of bed, and that is by dragging them by the wrist. "Ah… Hello Makoto-senpai." Yukari called out to me. "Oh that smells really good. You make it yourself senpai?" I nodded with a smile. "Eh…" Minato stood up form Yukari grip and regarded me with a small nod. "Hungry?" Yukari and Minato especially nodded, and I loaded the egg on toast onto two clean plates.

I myself, after hastily putting the dishes onto the drying rack wanted to get out of here and get my freaking motorcycle back. "Sorry! Tell Mitsuru-san that I'll clean this up later!"Before Yukari and Minato could say anything I was out that door and teleporting to the Velvet Room. I was surprised I was still able to do that, but I guess the contract still stands.

Still quite ruffled from how much I want my motorcycle back, I settled myself in the lyre-back chair. "Minato." Philemon was waiting for me, and that tone of voice he used… It just sounded so forgiving. "Hey. So… What happened?"

Philemon explained. "Apparently, Nyx sent you to another timeline. You've gotten that much already." I nodded. "Thankfully, she used all her power to do that. So the Fall in your world was stopped. And your friends are safe." I breathed out a huge sigh of relief, and looked back up at him. "I have a proposal for you, since I can't find another way to make this up to you. I had no idea this would happen…" Philemon stood up. "I would like to offer you a chance to be my one true representative in this world."

"Really? Even after becoming Master of Tartarus you now want me to be the representative for everything that is good in the world?" I mulled it over. "Wait. I'm still the Master of Tartarus right?" Nod. "I'm still going to have all of my Personae?" Nod. "I still have my motorcycle?" Nod. "What about Elizabeth?" Philemon stopped nodding then. "Oh. I see." Tears began to well up in the corner of my eye.

"Let me explain about Elizabeth. She is currently going to be the attendant for Minato." I nodded slowly, if not hanging my head in resignation. "Can't have everything I suppose." The butterfly-masked man shook his head slowly. "I wouldn't wish this kind of fate on anyone. That's why… If you can become my representative I'll actually be able to help you. As much as I can."

"Give me a pen." I wouldn't have been able to tell whether he was smiling or not, but I would bet that he was. "No need. Just give me your pocket watch."

I handed the silver watch to him, and when he gave it back, the chains on the watch were not only silver, but also white. "That is our contract. Are you ready to change destiny?"

I stood up and approached him. "As ready as I'll ever be." Philemon chuckled. "Then, go!" We two were transported out of the blue room, and hell yes my bike is at the bike stand bitches. I think… maybe I should visit the antique shop later. Just to see. Right now, school.

_Morning_

Whoo. I'm in the same class as everyone was arranged in my timeline. So Mitsuru and Akihiko were there. Though I was left questioning where Shinjiro went. I'll find out later when Mitsuru finally gives me some breathing space in terms of time. And I just realised. Knowing everything in the curriculum means I don't have to study! Hurrah!

Ounishi-sensei went through the same house-keeping things for school, which I wasn't even remotely interested in. I was more concerned with how I was going to deal with tomorrow. I really don't know. If my friends found out about my powers and who I really was… What would happen?

_After School_

It was at this time, realising that I had a few spare gems in my packed stuff that I transported them to me that I thought to go to the antique shop. I was constantly scratching my head about this as well. I wouldn't know if okaa-san was actually still alive and well. Though considering how I think this continuum has played out so far, nothing happened on that night ten years ago.

"Hello?" I looked around, and all I had to say was that it looked extremely empty. "Oh hello. Do you need something in particular?" Terasu walked in from the back room, putting her glasses on. "Um… I was just wondering. What can I get for these?" I presented a whole lot of rubies and malachite gems, and her eyes widened.

"It's been a long time since someone has asked for this. Hold on." After rummaging through the drawers in the table, she presented me with several cards such as Raktapaksha and Judgement. "Hm… I'll take this one." I picked out a Judgement Skill Card. Not that I really needed one, but this was just an excuse to see how she was going. I traded a bunch of gems in return. "Thanks. I'll be going now." I waved back to her as I strode through the door, trying to suppress tears that were threatening to fall through. She was alive in this timeline…

I shook my head and headed back to the dorm, picking up my motorcycle and driving off. I'll try to ask around about Shinjiro after tomorrow.

When I got back to the dorm, the dishes from this morning were gone. Huh. I wonder who cleaned them. It was then that Minato came down from the stairs looking extremely sleepy. "Hey senpai…" He walked over to the table, grabbing a bar of chocolate and beginning to munch on it. "Hey Minato-san."

"It's just Minato… Say. I've been meaning to ask. But… You didn't really answer the question that Yukari asked last night…" He kept nonchalantly eating his Mars bar. Oh man, I want one now. "I would explain… but what good would it be if you didn't believe me in the end?" He gulped down his bite and put a small smile on. "After encountering something like last night, I could believe anything at this point."

I rubbed the back of my head, pondering how I would explain this. "Even if you did, I'm not sure that the powers of the Universe would agree with messing with the timeline more than I already have." He deadpanned at me and continued to eat his chocolate, staring at me with his silver eyes. They were so different to mine. Mine were cyan blue. I took pride in that they were so ocean like. His were steely-grey, as if they had lost everything that had meant anything to him.

"If you really don't want to tell…" He gulped down the last of his chocolate, and I left for upstairs. "But you're the one who's going to have to explain the similarity between us." Wow. Bastard. I chuckled to myself, and went up to the command room that I knew was there. Easily entering the code to the room in, I found that control panel up. They were spying on us like I thought. It's time for me to look for that video.

After scrambling through some unneeded footage, I finally stumbled on the video where Yukari's dad was talking. It was fucking edited. I wasn't sure what to do. I wasn't tech-savvy like Fuuka or any of the Kirijo group researchers. I guess I can leave something here though… Crappy Windows Movie Maker editing!

What that done, I went back to my room and fell promptly asleep.

_09/04/09 Evening, Full Moon_

I tried looking for any sign of Shinjiro around the island, but I had no luck right now. Well… So what am I going to do about tonight? I guess… If this is playing out like I think… Well I don't know. That's a whole lot of speculation. I'm just going to have to wing it I suppose.

_Dark Hour_

I had Mukou Mugen readied, and was busy waiting for the alert to be sent out. Of course, I had an illusion cast over them, so no-one could see them. I was sure that Shadow was going to show up tonight, but even I wasn't sure how this night was going to play out exactly.

"Hey! Please wake up!" An earthquake shook the building as Yukari's voice called out frantically to me. I walked over to the door, still holding Mukou Mugen. Yukari grabbed me out of the room, and pulled me along with Minato following her too. "You can stop dragging me now." I deadpanned, and she let go of my hand quickly as she realised what I was doing. "Thanks." I looked around, and we had reached the bottom floor. Mmhm. I suppose we're going to go back up? As I thought the building shook again, and Yukari told us to follow her up to the roof.

Oh what a big mistake this would turn out to be. The Magician Arcane slipped over the edge of the building, and Yukari tried to summon her Persona but was quickly stopped by a swipe of one of the hands that made up the Shadow.

I watched as Minato picked up the gleaming gun that fell out of Yukari's hands as she fell, and pointed it towards his forehead.

I had half a mind to obliterate the Shadow right there, but I decided to wait this out and see what Minato was going to summon.

Orpheus appeared, echoing those words of mine.

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**From the sea of thy soul I cometh…**

**I am Orpheus, Master of Strings…**

With a cry of rage, the musician tried to begin its onslaught. However… Death was breaking out of control, and he burst out from the shell of Orpheus with a menacing roar. Stop chuckling Thanatos. Minato's Thanatos was not in any state to listen to his commands, and he immediately started hacking and slicing the Magician Arcane to pieces.

With a satisfied cry, Thanatos reverted back to Orpheus, hovering over Minato's form. Except… he was unconscious. I sighed. Those remnants of the Magician were still there, and they were approaching all of us pretty quickly.

I cast an illusion that looked like I was doing nothing over the field, however in truth, I was cutting those remnants to pieces like warm butter. After I had dispelled the illusion, all that was left of the Shadows were smouldering piles of Ichor.

Yukari ran over to Minato who was still unconscious, and tried to wake him up. I could still feel his life force radiating from him, and it was getting stronger in fact. I'm getting this feeling of blue… Of course. The Velvet Room!

I confirmed it with Philemon, who had apparently merged with my consciousness who said that Minato was indeed visiting the Velvet Room. I nodded to myself and just waited for the hour to end so that I could go to sleep.

* * *

AN: HAHAHAHA! That was one of the best plot twists I've pulled off. Ever. Minato definitely isn't done. There was a reason why his fortune back with Elizabeth ended with World instead of Death. Anyways… You'd be happy to know that there is still quite a bit left of this story. A lot. Because this next part is being gone over in detail. A lot more detail than the one I had been going on.

Hopefully Nyx's fight was epic enough for you guys, and I did my best on it to make it as interesting as I could. So many phases… *Crashes on bed* Umm… Hopefully Minato's alternate self's character is coming along ok. He's pretty cold isn't he? XD

Plz review and no flames!


	12. Backbeat

_10/04/09 Morning_

Too bad for us. Minato gets to skip out of school while he's tripping out in the Velvet Room. Good on him. "'Sup Mitsuru-san?" She came down from the stairs, and thankfully she was fully dressed. Unlike two days ago. "I would just like to talk to you about last night." She sat down in a chair, and gestured for me to sit down as well. "What about?" She glanced at me with a disbelieving look but continued. "You aren't in the least bit worried? About what you saw?"

"No… I've been aware of this hour for about ten years." The red-head flinched, but returned to her talk to me after a few seconds. "Then… You know about Persona? That creature that formed when Minato used that 'gun'?" I nodded. "Yeah… I'm guessing you're like a group of Persona users from the looks of it?" I grinned. "Um… Yes." Hearing the proper lady Mitsuru stutter like this was entertaining, admittedly.

"Unfortunately, I have no interest in joining your little team if you're asking. I can guess that you're doing it for a good reason, but I have other things…" I trailed off. "…To be doing." I glanced at her with a smile. Yeah. Like being the Reaper and scaring you half to death. That'll be fun again. "But… perhaps… we can negotiate?"

I stood up and left for the door, grabbing my keys. "I'd be happy to help you difficult tasks if you'd like?" I grinned at her once more, and she looked off to the side. "That is a good idea… If you wouldn't mind staying at this dorm, then I'd be happy to oblige."

Ah. I just remembered. "You probably want proof that I have the potential right?" Mitsuru looked at me disbelievingly once more. A blue card fell into each of my outstretched palms and I commanded Kazuya and Deity to appear.

**"Is there anything you need us for, Master?"** The knight asked. "Not really. Just want you to meet Mitsuru. Say hello Deity." I grinned up at the light enveloped Persona. **"Ah yes. My name is Deity, and that silver one is Kazuya. A pleasure to meet you." **Thank you so much for playing along to this, the both of you.

Kazuya and Deity nodded as they disappeared in blue mist. "So… Is this alright?" I looked at the Kirijo heiress, trying to hide the hurt in my eyes. That embrace that she gave me on that night is something I'll never be able to erase from my mind…

"Uh… Yes. Definitely." Probably never felt two Personae as powerful as this before. "I'll be going then. See you… Mitsuru-san." With that, I ran outside and jumped on my bike, firing up the ignition. You know… Why hasn't anyone asked about how and why I've got this bike? Whatever. A bridge I'll come to burning later. Or crossing. Probably burning.

I slipped my helmet on, and readied the ignition key and revved up the engine. It has been a long time, Pale Rider.

_Evening_

"Makoto! 'Sup man." I looked up from my book and found Akihiko. "Oh. Hi Aki. Are you ok after that?" The silver-haired boxer grinned. "Nothing that'll keep me down forever." I smiled at this. Still the old determined guy he was. "So… Has Mitsuru told you about me yet?" Akihiko looked at me inquisitive. "No… What about?"

"Persona?" I snapped my book shut. That caught him off guard. "You have the potential?" He deadpanned at me. "Give me some proof." I stood up from my chair and summoned Deity into my hand. **"My, my Master. It seems that you have taken a liking to summoning us for show. Not that I mind, but don't you care for the well-being of your friend's eyes?"**

"You can stop joking around." Deity disappeared in blue mist leaving one stunned Akihiko. "So… proof enough for you?" I grinned. "…Sure…" I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Tell ya what? Tell me if you feel any better tomorrow." I silently cast a Diarahan placing his ribs back into place seamlessly and painlessly.

I walked up to my room, whistling the tune of 'When the Moon's Reaching Stars' and casting an illusion on the cameras making it look like I was going to sleep. Guess I might've underestimated your power, YHVH. Welp, I am going to Tartarus to check up on the Reaper. See what's happening and all.

_Dark Hour_

It made me feel a little nostalgic as I waited for the Reaper to appear in the Thebel Block. A rattling of chains alerted me to his presence. "Hello, Charon." I turned around to find the Reaper looming behind me. "Minato. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be defeating Nyx?" Charon realised he hit a soft spot as I recoiled from his blunt question. "I'm sorry. Is there anything in particular you need me for?"

I grinned, and presented to him my version of the revolvers that he gave me. "You can take your leave… Charon." The reverted to his humanoid form and bowed. "Thank you, Master of Tartarus." The ferryman disappeared in grey mist, leaving me alone in the tower. Guess I better go and open up all of the barriers. No point keeping the team cooped up here.

I teleported to each barrier, leaving the documents that I found lying around untouched. The team will probably want to read this. And for Elizabeth's requests too. At each gate, I summoned Orpheus Crescendo, also summoning a lyre for me to use to charm the gates to each block open.

After all, these gates need a duo to open. This is as close as I'm going to get. While I'm here… I better open up Monad. I'll leave the key somewhere when they all get stronger. Thanatos knows what would happen if they went in as weak as they are now.

I shuddered at the thought, and was about to leave when I found four power signatures lurking at the bottom of Tartarus. Takaya, Jin, Chidori… and Ikutsuki. I'm killing him. Now. With that in mind, I teleported back to the bottom floor and confronted the group in my Reaper's clothing. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"Who are you!?" Chidori reacted first, sensing the energy that I was giving off. "I am… The Reaper. Nothing more needs to be known. And I'm here…" Without even batting an eye, Ikutsuki's throat was slit open, pouring blood all over the place. The blood splatter was left on the bandages that I wore, and I turned around to face STREGA.

"To kill a certain man." I flicked off the blood that was left on Mukou, landing most of it on Takaya and Jin. "Why?" The blue haired man, Jin bared his teeth at me. "Unlike some people… I'm not an instigator of the Fall. That's why." Takaya flinched at this. "Where are we to get our…?"

I grinned at this. "Don't worry too much. I fix that little pet problem of yours, and you leave never to bother anyone again. Fair?" Chidori recoiled from this especially. Too good to be true; That someone could get rid of their problematic Persona now…

"I'm not lying here. In fact, let me do it right here, if you're ready." The group nodded slowly, and Chidori was the first to step forward.

"Myriad Truths." The surge of SP I released affecting everyone in the vicinity instantly, the malicious intent from their souls gone. "I'll see you all later." I snapped my fingers and teleported back to the dorm, dumping Ikutsuki's body in the ocean as I did so. I temporarily decreased the solidity of my illusion and slipped into my normal clothing. Not too long after that, I covered myself with the sheets, trying to get myself to sleep.

_11/04/09 After School_

"So… How'd it go, Akihiko?" I looked up at my silver haired friend and he looked at me with a smirk. "You are one of a kind. You know that right? No-one has higher than a Dia spell in this place." I nodded. "Yeah. But I've been doing this kinda thing for even longer than you guys. Don't take it too hard." I patted his shoulder.

"Everyone! We have a situation!" Mitsuru ran into the dorm puffed out and pretty with no breath. "What is it?" I stood up and Yukari came from the upper floors of the dorm next. "I can't contact or find the chairman anywhere…" Mitsuru started to head up to the command room, with Akihiko and Yukari following after, the former shooting me a worried glance.

I followed the team up to the command room just after that, just to check on their reaction. I don't know how this is going to play out either, since I pretty much had my first suspicions about Ikutsuki when I was about nine. When I first met him, he was the first to go when I went out. That one I didn't really feel sorry for.

I poked my head into the room where everyone was gathered in and… Calm down Mitsuru. I slipped into the room and watched as they were beginning to open up the incident recording which I put in plain sight. "My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea…"

I watched as the emotions that flashed across Yukari's face changed according to what Takeba Eiichiro was saying. Disbelief, fear… They pretty much stopped there since when the message I put up came up, Mitsuru paused the video and began to notice something very strange. "What is this…?" Anger was bubbling up in the red-head's eyes, and to my surprise, Akihiko was looking no better. I wish I could just tell you what happened right here… What are the chances that you'll believe me? And if I tell you, what will you do?

"Do you have someone that can try and fix this?" I asked. Mitsuru turned around. "Well… Possibly. But there is a good chance that this video has been tampered with far too much. It is very likely that we may not be able to recover the contents of the real video." Dammit… Yukari really needs to hear what he has to say. As far as faith is going, it is faintly slipping.

_17/04/09 After School_

"What is it Yukari-san?" I'm not sure whether Yukari has fully recovered from yesterday, unfortunately. It is one problem I can't fix and the only person I know with the knowledge and a skill to crack this video is Fuuka. Knowing how technologically apt she is, she'll probably be able to retrieve the most information out of anyone I know. Perhaps, even the whole video. But I don't want to force her to. If she wants to joins SEES… She'll join on her own.

"Oh, I was just wondering whether you wanted to come with me to see Minato-san. Since you seem to have some free time…" I stood up and slung my bag on my shoulder. "Sure Yukari-san." With a smile I headed out for the hospital with Yukari to where the sleepy guy was resting.

"Um… I'm just wondering something." I asked the brunette as we were leaving for the school gates. She turned her head around with a questioning glance. That is pretty cute there. "How were you planning to get there?" With a confused look she replied, "The monorail and walking. Why?" I scratched the back of my head. "Wanna go on my motorcycle? It's faster…"

She blinked a few times and looked up to the sky with thought. "Why not." I nodded and headed for Pale Rider. "Is this your ride?" I nodded once more and gave her the other helmet that I kept with it, since Mitsuru in the other timeline sometimes liked to hitch a ride with me, and because I usually took Minako with… "Yeah." I too slipped the other helmet on. "It looks pretty cool senpai." I glanced at her with a small smile. "Thanks. Get ready." She nodded frantically and got onto the spare space at the back of the bike, holding just under my arms around my chest.

We arrived at the hospital safely and it appeared that Yukari enjoyed the ride quite a bit, even if she doesn't want to show it. We walked quietly through the halls of the hospital, and we finally arrived at Minato's ward. She silently opened and closed the sliding door after I came in, and sat down on one of the stools that were supplied in the room.

As we sat quietly in the room not really knowing when Minato would wake up, I noticed that Yukari was slightly pink around her cheeks. Huh. I think I just now figured out why she ranked up with me at the movies. Amazing job Minato. As in me. Minato's eyes were beginning to flicker a bit, and I could tell Yukari was getting hopeful here. And right she was to get her hopes up because Minato finally woke up.

"Oh! You're finally awake!" Minato's eyes darted around, trying to figure out where he was. "Where am I…?" Yukari breathed out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you finally came to… Do you know how worried I was? How much sleep do you need? It's almost been a week!" Minato laughed a little as he sat himself upright.

"I do like my sleep…" Yukari smiled, but then she realised that she didn't answer the bluenette's question. "You're at the hospital. The doctor said they couldn't find anything wrong with you. They just said that you were exhausted." Minato smiled a little bit. "I'm always tired. But… can you tell me what happened last night?"

Yukari glanced at me. Oh you want me to explain? "Well… Last night you used a power which we call Persona. The figure that you summoned." He nodded. He mumbled under his breath, 'Orpheus' and turned back to me, awaiting further explanation. "And you used Persona, to fight against that creature, which we call…" I looked at Yukari for this one. Mitsuru didn't officially fill me in on that. So… "They're called Shadows." Minato nodded. "Sounds like them." Yukari smiled. "But that power that you used… It was incredible." He appeared to understand. "I suppose the both of us will get an official explanation at the dorm later since you're up now."

"Ok…" Yukari looked at me apologetically, and I could tell it was a look that said to leave for privacy. With that I stood up and waited outside the ward, waiting for her explanation about whatever to end. Yukari came out a few minutes after, looking a lot more relaxed than when she came in. "Um, Minato wants to see you…" My eyebrow raised a little, but I went into his room anyway.

I sat myself down on the stool I was sitting on earlier. "'Sup?" I looked straight at the silver eyes that he had. "Well… I'm just wondering… Does the word Velvet have any meaning to you?" Well, if he wants to try and crack this thing on his own, then I guess I'll say, "Yeah… Like… the Velvet Room. Right?" Minato nodded. "So you know about that huh…"

I didn't get to ask Philemon this but… Will telling people I'm from an alternate dimension incur any unfortunate consequences? "No… As a Fool you are free to change things as you will, so long as you are the one bearing the responsibility to that action." Thanks Philemon. I nodded. "I think… how about this." Minato was pulled out of his thoughts and he stared at me intently. "Would you believe I'm from an alternate dimension?" He mulled it over a bit, probably going through all the circumstances at hand. "Probably." I grinned. "Well, yeah. I'm from an alternate timeline to yours."

His eyes widened a bit but other than that, there was no obvious reaction. "I come from a timeline where you're seventeen instead of sixteen, so a senior." He stayed silent for a few moments. "Yeah… You know what?" I stood up. "I'll tell you more about this later." I walked towards the door, and risked a glance at the blue-haired kohai. He looked extremely confused, and desperately trying to mould these facts together. I would tell you about how I had a sister, but that's only if you ask yourself and manage to figure it out.

_18/04/09 Evening_

"So, what did you call us here for, Mitsuru-san?" She had called us to the command room, and it was probably discuss some of the recent events, formally introducing me to everyone and what I'm doing, and to talk Minato into joining SEES. "Well, I would like to discuss some things with everyone now that Minato has recovered." I nodded, and Minato made a nervous smile at everyone.

"Firstly, I would like to say that the chairman… He has been murdered." Akihiko and Yukari flinched at this, but Minato had no reaction. Probably happy for the guy to be gone. Those damn puns… That and he's in need of a psycho ward, and a complete bastard. "We found his body washed up at the bottom of the Moonlight Bridge, and his throat slit open. We haven't been able to find the culprit… We've been putting our best efforts into finding the murderer of him, but so far no luck."

Yeah when I'm the murderer, you didn't think that I would make it obvious did you? The water washed off pretty much everything that they could use, and I didn't even touch the guy. Slit throat with Mukou. The only blood that you'll be able to find will be in Tartarus, but even that won't tell you anything. Lastly, the only other witnesses didn't see my face, nor did they catch my name. You'll never be able to figure this out for certain. Only way to get some kind of evidence will be to check my swords, but no-one knows about them.

"As unfortunate as this is, we have no choice but to press forward for now. It will probably take a while for the researchers to be able to recover the data of the video that Takeba's otou-san left behind." Man. I have to wonder whether I'm doing the right things at the right time now. Maybe I should have left it to when we were around the Empress and Emperor fight. Ah well. "In any case, I would like to explain a few things to Arisato-san and Makoto-san." Finally.

"First, I would like to explain what we call the Dark Hour. There is a time hidden between today and tomorrow, in the space of a about a second to midnight, another time appears where no electronics work, and people transmogrify into coffins." Minato mulled that over a bit, and soon nodded. I of course already knew this but… you know. I nodded anyway. "The only people who can function normally during this time are people with the potential, or people with the ability to summon Persona." Makes sense.

"Not only do we have that, but strange creatures that roam around during this time appeared. These are what we call Shadows. They are responsible for most of the incidents appearing on the news, if not all of them. And they can only be defeated by Persona users." Minato snapped to attention. He should have been told about his Wild Card abilities, so of course he would be interested. 'I accept this fate of mine own free will' huh?

"What we are saying is…" Mitsuru pulled a metal briefcase onto the table and opened it. "We would like for you to join us, Arisato-san." Minato looked around the room, and started to think about it himself. He must have caught my smirk though, since he accepted. "Ok. I'll join." Mitsuru smiled. "Tres bien. Thank you."

"What about Makoto-san?" Yukari asked. Mitsuru turned to me clearly asking me to explain. "Ah well… I don't really have any interest in joining. Sorry about that." Yukari looked at me disbelievingly, and signalled for me to continue. "Ah you see… I am a pretty busy guy. As much as I'd like to help you guys… I simply don't have the time." Yukari's face fell, but I wasn't finished. "But, I promised to help out your team on difficult missions and stuff…"

"Wait. Makoto-senpai." Minato spoke quietly. "You have a Persona?" I nodded. "Yeah… I have a lot of them." Minato's silver eyes bored into my cyan, demanding my Personae to be shown. "You have more than two!?" Mitsuru was definitely surprised by this. "Yeah?"

Messiah. Kazuya. Deity. Skoll. Eos. Odin. Come on.

Messiah appeared just above me, all in white like usual. Kazuya appeared next, the knight bowing, Deity materialised with an overwhelming amount of light. Skoll and Eos appeared together, the wolf and maiden together, and Odin appeared last, standing in all of his godly glory. "I have even more if you're asking." Messiah… He nodded, and disappeared in blue mist. The rest followed after. "How…?" I glanced at Minato with a barely noticeable smirk. If he didn't believe me before, he does now. "Oh. This just gave me an idea."

Everybody looked up to me, with piqued curiosity. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking… I have been doing this for a pretty long time, so… I wanted to show you guys a few tricks you can use to get stronger later." It's pretty obvious that they weren't able to get the same experience in my timeline since they couldn't climb all that far into Tartarus. Sad really. "I see. Perhaps tomorrow. It is getting a little late." Mitsuru replied.

_19/04/09 After School_

"Hey dude! This is freaking heavy!" Ah. Junpei. I guess Minato made friends with the guy. Junpei walked into the dorm with all ardour. "'Sup dude!" Minato looked up and smiled at the capped teen. "Dude. Since when did you have a lookalike?" Yukari groaned at this. That's what he's concerned about? Ah… I am going to get his luggage. I will carry it one arm. See how amazing I am. I picked up his luggage and picked it with so much ease it's not even funny. Junpei stared at me as I nonchalantly carried his supposed heavy luggage.

"Actually…" Minato began to explain something to him, but I couldn't hear the rest of it as I was busy carrying luggage to his room. Of course I wouldn't hear. I came back down, and Junpei was grinning like mad. What did you tell him Minato? "Hey Makoto-senpai. I'm Junpei Iori. But you can just call me Junpei."

"Sure Junpei. I'm Makoto… but it seems you already know that…" I deadpanned at Minato who merely shrugged. Akihiko came in shortly, and he looked pretty excited. Of course! When Junpei came in, this was also the first time he went to Tartarus. "So guys, I think we're about ready." Junpei snapped to attention. "Ready for what?" He looked very curiously at the silver-haired boxer. "I think we're ready for our exploration of Tartarus."

"Tartarus? What's that? Sounds like toothpaste." Junpei commented. I snickered at that. "My thoughts exactly. Hi-five." Like I said, we both hi-fived. "You haven't seen it Junpei?" Yukari asked curiously. The capped teen shook his head no. "It's no surprise. You can only see it during the Dark Hour." The boxer explained.

"Well… I guess this'll give me a chance to show some things that you guys can practise. It's pretty cool." I walked up to my room all calm-like, and waited for the Dark Hour to fall…

_Dark Hour_

We had entered Tartarus, and the reaction from Junpei was about the same as the first time that we came here. Except it didn't have as much of an effect on me because… well when you've seen this already I think that is what would happen. Pretty sure. Minato seemed awfully calm about this, and I even caught him staring into the same place I knew the Velvet Room was.

"Hmm." Whatcha thinking about Philemon? "I think Elizabeth wants to give you something…" My eyebrow rose a little at that. I guess… I'll visit her later. Teleportation powers are useful. I sighed as Junpei, once again was bouncing around on his first exploration. I magically teleported the weapons that I was apparently stashing in the Velvet room into my bag, and called for Junpei. "So… What do you want? A katana or what?"

"Katanas are for men!" I chuckled at this. "Happy birthday." I showed him the scabbard that held Kusanagi. "Thanks dude!"

"What're those you've got Makoto?" Akihiko came over. "Happy birthday. Again." I threw him a pair of boxing gloves which were made using Siegfried. "Have fun with those."

"Yukari-san! Mitsuru-san! Minato-san!" The team came over, very curious as to what I was calling them for. "Yukari-san… you can have this." I presented her the Cybele-made bow. "Ah… Thank you Makoto-san. How did you know that I was going to use a bow?" I grinned. "I heard that you were in the archery club. That's all." She nodded in understanding, and I turned to Mitsuru. "I heard that you were also in the fencing club, so…" I gave her an Alilat-made rapier. "But… I didn't intend on fighting… Unfortunately." I smirked. "Just in case."

I turned to Minato. "So… what do you feel like?" He shrugged, but eventually settled with the one-handed sword. "Ok…" I handed him Excalibur, and he looked at me very curiously. "You will have to tell me how you procured these weapons at some time." Mitsuru demanded. I nodded, and clipped the scabbards for Mukou Mugen and my revolvers on my belt. Not that they could see the guns because they were hidden behind the hilts of my swords. "Ok. I would now like to formally commence the exploration of Tartarus." Mitsuru announced.

"First things first, we'd like to see all of you get a feel for the place." Akihiko explained. "What! By ourselves!?" Yukari exclaimed. "Don't worry. You'll only be going as far as the first floor." Yukari calmed down a little bit, while Junpei appeared to be a little disappointed. I chuckled. If I was the one leading the exploration, I wouldn't just be going up to the first floor… "To get through this efficiently, we should appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions." Mitsuru added.

"Oh OH! Me, me! Pick me!" Akihiko glanced at Junpei very unsure, but turned to Minato and calmed down quite a bit. "You're in charge." Minato shrugged, but Junpei was fuming. "What!? Why him? He doesn't look like a leader!" Akihiko pinched the bridge of his nose. "He's already fought the Shadows before." I replied, as if it was the simplest thing to grasp in the world. "Seriously?" Junpei asked in awe.

Minato shrugged once more, and began to eat a Snickers. Snickers? Snicker-snack? Vorpal Blade bitches! Stop making connections here. "That and… I'm not a permanent member. I'm sure Akihiko would love to focus on…" I glanced at the silver-haired boxer, who was doing some shadow boxing. Really? Right now? "Training… Mitsuru's doing support, and Yukari seems a little nervous. Junpei… I'm sorry to say, but you're being too hyperactive for this. He's the only calm one here." Junpei was about retort, but I glared icily at him with my eyes glowing blue to shut him up instantly.

"We should probably get going guys." Minato stoically said as he began walking up the flight of stairs that led up into the labyrinth of Tartarus, when Mitsuru gave them the go-ahead. "So… Makoto-san." Mitsuru addressed me. I turned around to face her. "What were these tricks that you were talking about?" I started channelling SP into my hand. "This."

The SP eventually formed into a Ziodyne, coating my hand with electricity that called out like the chirping of birds. "I found this out a while ago. If you channel SP into some parts of your body, for example your arm or hand, you can use spells without having to actually summon your Persona." Her eyes widened as she mulled over the new fighting technique. "So… I could summon a Bufu spell into my hand by channelling the Skill down my arm?" I nodded. "You can do it with other things like your feet as well. Welp, you better get back to scanning duty. Practise it later."

I moved over to the corner where you could find the Velvet Room, and opened up the door the blue dimension. "Yo Igor." I pulled myself into the room, and sat down in the lyre-back chair. "Minato. What are you doing here?" The black-suited man asked. "I heard from Philemon that Elizabeth wanted me for something?" Igor's eyes widened very slightly at this. I don't know why, but I'll roll with it. "Where is Master Philemon?"

"Not to worry Igor." Philemon's figure appeared next to me as a phantom of some sort. "My my… To even harness this power… You are a most unusual guest. And yes. Elizabeth does have something for you. This." A gold orb fell from the sky, glowing unusually and floating just above my hands as it was suspended in its fall. "This is the Omnipotent Orb. I don't know exactly why Elizabeth chose to give you this… But take care of it. This orb nullifies all the types of damage that you would sustain from getting hurt… from everything."

I nodded as the orb was gently pushed into my chest the same way the powers I got from the factions were. "I'm just wondering something… Where is Elizabeth?" Igor chuckled. "Do not worry. She is just fine, and serving the other Minato as his attendant. Though I wonder because of your exceptionally close bond… Perhaps it is affecting the way that she is treating this Minato. I do wonder…"

"Not negatively I hope…" I twiddled my thumbs together. "Not at all… But it seems because of the VIP advantages given by Master Philemon it gave you more chances to bond with her. She just doesn't seem to be treating him the same way." I stood up from the chair and headed out. "Thanks Igor." The balding man chuckled. "It is no worry Minato. 'Til we meet again…"

So. Complicated. I walked back to Mitsuru. And of course since no time passes in the Velvet Room, she was standing in the same place and still giving advice to the kohai. I guessed that this never really mattered to the senior since he's been through all this already. What to do about Shinjiro…

"Oh. Mitsuru, while you're telling them about affinities and stuff, would you like to know that there are more than just those ones?" She looked at me curiously, and gestured for me to keep going. "There is also Water, Force, Gravity, Earth, Nuclear, Psy and Mystic. You don't seem them that often, but you know. To be careful." Don't see them that often? Don't see them that often!? The people who use that shit are me, the Reaper and pretty much every god in society!

Pulling that stick out… Anyways, Mitsuru nodded and relayed that information to the rookies. "I've been wondering Yuki. What kind of weapon do you use?" I unsheathed Mukou and Mugen, and held them out for Mitsuru to see. "These are beautiful… Where did you get these?" I rubbed the back of my head. "In all honesty… I made those Weapons myself."

She grabbed hold of one of the swords and swung it keeping some distance from me. Huh. No sound. Wonder why? "Hm… Thank you." I got back the sword from Mitsuru, and tried swinging both of them in a combo, well away from Mitsuru. Yeah, and the sound came back. Funny. I believe that song was… It's 'The Battle for Everyone's Souls', but it sounds kinda different. Like there's more piano in it. A lot more piano. It reminds me of a certain shooter game in fact…

"What was that?" Mitsuru asked. "My swords can play songs. But… so far it only seems like it reacts when I swing it…" Yeah dumbass, because you've always got a song stuck in your head. The rest of the hour was spent waiting for Minato and company to stop exploring the floor they were on. No doubt picking up some extra Personae and items. And dealing with Junpei's rashness here. How pleasant.

There was one interesting thing I noticed once Minato came back down from the labyrinth. Once the conversation about how it went ended, he was staring up into the sky for a few seconds. It kind of reminded me of how I felt when I first started a Social Link. He's got that too…

_20/01/09 After School_

Hm… I wonder how I can… If I take notes from the 'Battle for Everyone's Souls' I know that the song also changes into different phases. The hard rock bit, the bit where the piano joins in, the quiet bit with more piano, the opera and back to hard rock. In the remix I'm thinking of, it goes from complicated piano, to guitar, to guitar and piano, to guitar, piano and violins, quiet piano and violins with guitar, quiet piano again with only drums and slight violin which soon rises and stops, then the violins, guitar, piano and voice bit comes in, getting louder as time goes on, until it reaches the climax and drops back into guitar, guitar solo, back to guitar and piano...

If I can incorporate that into my sword style, then… "Makoto-san." Mitsuru's voice interrupted me from my thoughts. "Uh, what's up?" I put my swords down on the table I was sitting at. "I've just been wondering… If it is possible for me to see you in action with your swords?"

Ah. I'm still working the kinks out. "Maybe when I'm done perfecting my style… I still haven't quite got it down yet." Mitsuru smirked. "Let me know when you're done."

With that in mind, I headed to the Velvet Room. I didn't only use the Concert Hall for practising music you know. I slipped outside and teleported to the Velvet Room, and into the Concert Hall I went.

**Master, let me help you.**

Sure Feo… he materialised in the air above me. "So… how are you going to help?"

**"You see, you remember that I am indeed a musician. Right?" **Nod. **"I know each movement of a song once you play it for me. Those two songs which you seem to have taken quite an interest to…" **He trailed off a bit. **"If you can channel my Spiritual Pressure into your arms, I can help to incorporate the movements of the song into your movements. Like this…"**

Orpheus' consciousness faded back into my soul, and I began to channel my SP into my arms. It felt like a fleeting dance… I started moving to the music that I knew was playing over and over again in my mind. Swinging my blades with varied speed and intensities to each note of the piano, the crescendos made with the violin, and the force exerted on the electric guitar. The song that was playing out was perfectly like the song I was thinking of… That is cool. Thanks Feo.

**No problem. Though you still need more practise on this, you are getting ever closer to it. …I noticed that you haven't a name for the style yet. I'm surprised.**

Really? Huh. Think, think!

**Aria of the Soul?**

Isn't that another Velvet Room song, Thoth?

**Backbeat.**

Hm… I kinda like the ring of that one. Thank you Thanatos.

**Oh. I just picked it because it sounds badass boss.**

Does it matter? It worked! Thanatos chuckled as I teleported out of the Velvet Room to the takoyaki stand Octopia. What can I say? I'm hungry.

_21/04/09 After School_

Today I noticed that Mitsuru was working on her ice manipulation. "Hey. Making progress?" I asked as I sat down next to her. "Hm… I seem to be getting it, but my Spiritual Pressure seems to waver as soon as it reaches my fingertips." I thought about it. Huh. "I always tried doing it when my hand was in a fist."

I channelled a Bufudyne into my fist, and my hand was soon encased in a cage of absolute zero. "Let me see…" I channelled a surge of Ice energy down my arm and formed a rose in my fingers. "Well… that works. For you mon amour…" I placed the ice flower on the table, holding it up with a faint Grydyne spell. Mitsuru blushed a bit from the gesture and I could tell that she appreciated it, but…

"Makoto!"

She formed an ice rapier and pointed it towards my throat. Well, not that it really mattered to me because of what Eli-chan did but yeah. Still cold. "That is not something you say to someone you've barely met!" I tried to hide the hurt look in my eyes as I stared at her beautiful face, but I'm not sure whether it's working or not. "Well… It worked though…" I pointed to the rapier that she was currently holding at my throat, and she dropped it. "Oh my… Erm… Sorry Makoto-san."

I nodded and turned for my room. I am not in the mood for training right now…

SP must have been leaking out of me in sadness and anger because the windows began to get iced over, and the air around me frigid. Dammit.

_22/04/09 After School_

Thankfully after I had calmed down a little bit from yesterday, I was able to concentrate and use the powers of Agi to defrost the room before I went to take a shower. Thanatos knows how uncomfortable that would be. I think… I should spend this time looking for Shinjiro again. I haven't got much to do but train.

Hm. Why didn't I try this earlier?

Myriad Truths. The surge of SP extended to around the island, affecting pretty much everyone who had a Persona. Not that they would know what the heck it was and where it came from.

Found him.

He is behind Port Island station in the alleys. Further reminding me that this is an alternate reality huh? Thank you forces of the Universe. I teleported to Shinjiro's location after changing my clothes, putting jeans and my favourite hoodie on. Even though this jacket is the same that I always wore in those alleyways. It was really stained with blood underneath it all. Dried blood caked it in some places, and they were too stubborn to be gotten rid of. Not that I minded. You wouldn't be able to tell without looking at it up close. This is what reminds me of what I've done before.

I appeared from out of the shadows and put my hood over my blue hair and began to stroll like no-one's business. I gave icy glares to those who were stupid enough to approach, and left holes in people's throats that were stupid enough to attack me. I reached Shinjiro.

"You're Aragaki Shinjiro, right?" Geez, he looks so different. The red pea coat and beanie suit him though… He grunted in response. That translated as a yes. "So…" I approached him holding Mukou in my hand. He's definitely changed. There was a kind of hurt that I saw in his eyes. It was that kind of guilt you get when you can't protect someone. I wonder if this is what my eyes looked like a few days after I found out okaa-san died.

"What do you want?" He asked in a gruff voice. "In all honesty… I just needed to find you." He scoffed somewhat quietly. "You're going to tell me why you aren't with SEES."

There we go. Actual reaction. He flinched from mention of this, probably wondering how I knew about this. "Why should I?" His eyes were darting everywhere, probably looking for an exit. Too bad you can't escape an escapist Shinjiro. They should all know where they're going. "Because… I think the team could use a little more manpower. That's why." Because I don't know what will happen and it's best to be prepared.

"Yeah? Well I'm not playing that. Get out." I released a surge of strong killer intent, courtesy of Thanatos. "And I don't want to play your game either. Get in." Shinjiro recoiled from the force of the killing intent. That cold feeling you get when you're going to die. When you feel like you're dying a million times over. It's no wonder that someone will get scared to shit if they get hit with this.

Shinjiro backed into a corner. "Who are you…?" I approached. The only thing that he could see; they were the cyan blue eyes that glowed so hauntingly using Death's power. "You can call me the Reaper. It's not like you need to know anything else." For now. Drops of sweat were trickling down Shinjiro's face. It was obvious now. He was nervous. Anxious. Scared.

He licked his lips in an attempt to wet them, and thankfully for him it worked. "So… Are you going to tell me or not?" He realised he had nowhere else he could try to run away to get away from me at this point and let out a huge sigh. "My Persona… It killed someone's mother as we were chasing after this Shadow that had escaped into the city…" I remembered at that point that when that incident happened, Shinjiro's Persona was actually under control. Well… I beat it into submission before it did anything at least. "I see."

"And the mum's kid… he's an orphan now and…" I put up a hand for him to stop. "…Ok." I was so happy that it was dark in these alleyways and that my hood cast a Shadow over my eyes, because tears were welling up in them… How many people died in this timeline? Why? Dammit… Godammit!

"Hey… Are you alright…?" Shinjiro asked cautiously. "Huh?" I looked back at him. "What are you sorry for? Shouldn't I be the one that's sorry here?" I looked into his eyes about to answer, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything. "One last thing…"

I muttered the words 'Myriad Truths' and released a huge surge of SP, breaking the malicious intent that surrounded his Persona. "If you still feel like coming back to your friends… Then you better go soon." I slipped back into the shadows and teleported back to my room, casting an illusion as I went. I folded my jacket and changed into some clothes that I was going to use for sleeping.

I just hope he does come back.

_22/04/09 After School_

Of course there was nothing particularly exciting happening at school, as usual. Some of these days though, I just have to imagine Kenji bothering me like usual, and Hidetoshi pestering me for things that had anything to do with student council for the year. I guess I'll go train again. With that, I drove back to the dorms and left Pale Rider while I went to the Velvet Room to work on my style.

I realised as I made my way to the Concert Hall that while the movements in my swings made them very unpredictable, sometimes, there was this lack of force. As much as I want to go along with the music, I have to keep the amount of force I deal constant.

**Oh! Let me help, boss! Maybe if you channel Orpheus' power and mine at the same time it'll help!**

Good idea Thanatos. I began to circulate both Orpheus' and Thanatos' Spiritual Pressure around my body, and let their skill influence me a little more.

I was leaving myself speechless as Thanatos showed me a way to counter the weaker sword strikes. Using gravity made sense! If I make the weaker strikes in the air, and bring them down… the momentum will carry enough force with it! You are awesome, Thanatos.

**Yup. I know…**

Ok… Thank you for the help. But… I can't keep jumping around all the time. It's a good idea and it could work if I wanted to catch my opponent off guard.

**You don't have to. You're right. I was thinking to perhaps incorporate some dodging similar to the Dempsey Roll that you used when you fought against Lucifer. As in, when you dodge out of the range of your adversary's attacks, you use the momentum from dodging to put some more force in as you make your counter swing.**

Great idea Messiah. You are awesome. Heck, all of you are awesome. The musician chuckled at this, and Thanatos guffawed with laughter. **Thank you Minato. **Messiah replied.

Let's put this all to work.

I came back to my room pretty tired. While practising on my own is working for now, sooner or later I'm going to need a partner to help me. I flopped down into my bed after taking a shower and changing. Sleep, needed… Take me somewhere nice Hypnos…

_23/04/09 Evening_

More… training… Oh god. At this rate having this Omnipotent Orb won't even matter… Now that's just sad.

_27/04/09 After School_

Somehow I managed to dodge Mitsuru's attempts to try and recruit me into the student council, even after all the training I've been putting myself through. Forays into Tartarus are speeding up a little bit… I guess. But they are spending way too long on a single floor. I hope they know that. If they stay on a floor for more than ten minutes, I am going to come after them as the Reaper and beat them all into miserable pulps. How is it possible to stay on a floor for more than five minutes!? Thanatos…

_ Dark Hour_

Yup. They did it. And that is why I'm dressed up and instantly teleporting to the floor that they are on right now. I rattled the chains of my pocket watch, warning them of the impending danger.

"You have to get off that floor now! That opponent is far too powerful!"

Darn right I'm far too powerful. And the stupid head called Junpei tried to approach me. For that, he gets a Garudyne to the face. I knocked the capped teen unconscious, making Akihiko have to carry him to the next floor. I caught a glimpse of Minato with Yukari, who were trying to find a way to avoid me while they were leading Akihiko.

It's too bad for them that I don't have an alternate form like the Reaper does. That form is so much slower… I charged for them and used a Bufudyne to freeze their feet in place. "Ok. Before you say anything." Minato deadpanned at me. "I am who you can call the Reaper." Yukari and Akihiko shuddered a little from this, and it wasn't from the cold. "Why are you doing this?" Minato asked, very calmly.

"Because some people were being slow as fuck, and were spending about fifteen minutes on one floor?" Minato shot a look at Junpei, which pretty much said 'I'm going to kill you later.' Yukari groaned and Akihiko looked like he had half a mind to drop Junpei unceremoniously on the ground and leave him for dead.

"Why would you care about that?" Minato folded his arms. "Because, one. It gets boring for me. Two, it's actually in my best interest to get you up the tower as fast as possible." Minato's eye bored into my one, to which I retaliated with an icy glare. "So… Get your asses up to the next floor and actually make some progress here!" I released the hold of the Bufudynes, letting them scramble up to the nearby stairs.

There was only one thing that was going through my mind at this time. That. Was. Awesome.

_28/04/09 After School_

I had finally gotten the balance of power and speed in my style right. Now it was time for the hard bit: Doing it myself. I had already gotten a feel for it, so now I have to try to replicate it myself, using no SP whatsoever. This is going to take a while.

What are you doing here Junpei?

Anyways… I'll need some kind of test once I finish mastering this. I wonder what though? At that time, Crescendo chuckled. I wonder what you've got planned. Eh. I'll find out later. Ok, Junpei, why are you looking at me? "So, Makoto-senpai… I know that you aren't really joining us on Tartarus stuff so why?" I pulled one of my earphones out and replied with, "Because. I have a lot of things to be doing contrary to popular belief." Junpei deadpanned. "Like what?" Like kicking your ass to Sunday in the form of the Reaper?

"I dunno. Like trying to get even stronger. I can't get that in Tartarus." Junpei nodded slowly, as if he didn't believe me. "What can't you get done in Tartarus? It's the hardest place to go through around." No. Going through the God's Plain is the hardest thing around. "It isn't." The capped teen flinched. "You're joking right?"

I stood up and head for the door. "I don't kid." And I teleported to the Velvet Room.

What are you doing here Minato? "Oh. Hey, Makoto-senpai." He must be doing some fusions… "Hey Minato-san." Man it's still kinda weird being called Makoto… I guess I better excuse myself. To the Concert Hall. Hm… He seems really curious as to where I'm going. Maybe he doesn't have the VIP status like I do. That's a bit unfortunate. I slipped into the huge chamber, and began to practise.

_08/05/09 Evening_

Hellz yeah I've got it bitches. But… How am I going to test this? **With me.**

Oh, hey Feo. You mean, fight you? **"Exactly what I am saying. The room that you once used to meet with Death. It used to be a room where Personae and contactors could communicate. As it is now, I'm not solid. In that room however…" **I nodded. I see. That room doesn't make it so I can communicate with Death. It's made to talk to aspects of yourself. Personae. Orpheus nodded and disappeared.

I walked over to the once black now silver door and let myself in. Instead of the green tint that usually filled this room, it was a gold colour. A welcome change.

**"Now. Let's get started."** If I follow along to the song Orpheus is moving around in… It looks like this Vocaloid song called 'Dolls.' That smooth flowing movement, yet complicated and hard to dodge strikes. That is what it is. I drew my swords, and began to dancing along to 'Memories of the Firmament,' which was a song in Devil Survivor 2. I finally got to pay it in my spare time, and it was amazing.

My swords rang out with the familiar piano and electric guitar of the song, and I dodged and struck with Orpheus' metal arm. He jumped back, and he started a different song.

'Battle of the Brave.' It was the kind of song that instilled hope even in the darkest of times. He struck hard mostly on the first and third notes of the bar. Of course, that was where the subtle accents of the song went since it was in common time. To which I say, 'Be my Escape.' It was a hard hitting song, but you'd be surprised by the amount of dynamics in here. I mostly dodge in the breaks, landing hard slashes with Mukou.

It was the kind of song to lead up into the chorus where you pretty much rock out. I was mostly following the underlying guitar and voice. There was piano, but this mostly came into effect at the end.

I'm changing. 'The Battle for Everyone's Souls' was my trump card. I started off calm, and began to lay on the damage to Orpheus once the guitars came in. With one final strike, Orpheus skidded down onto the ground. "Are you ok old buddy?"

**"Haha. I'm just fine."** He reached his hand up to me, which I grabbed and used to pull him up to full height. **"It seems… You're ready."** Orpheus faded back into my consciousness, but for some reason, the colour didn't change. It's probably because Orpheus Crescendo was the closest to my true nature.

Tomorrow is the full moon. Mochizuki. It's a good thing that I just finished this. I heard that Minato was taking everyone on a Tartarus exploration today.

I better get going.

* * *

AN: Yay! This chapter is done! I'm surprised by how fast I update now. 20 pages of story in about three days. Hell yeah. Too excited I say. I wonder how you like my full description on Minato's sword style. Who knows. It could become important later. And you see the early animosity between some of the SEES members? Minato and Minato, Junpei with either Minatos… I hope that's coming along ok. And early Shinjiro!

I've been doing my best to think of events, and it's getting really hard not to go over nine thousand words now. Packing so many words into one paragraph, it's crazy.

Plz review and no flames!


	13. Taking Blame and Gaining Names

_08/05/09 Dark Hour_

"So… what are you planning?" I asked Minato as he approached the stairs that led up into the labyrinth. "Well… after that encounter with the 'Reaper' a few days ago we started picking up the pace. But I decided I had to go back down to the lower floors because of her… odd… requests…" I nodded. "Cool, 'cause I feel like coming with this time." His eyebrow rose a little from this, but there was no further reaction. Do you have no faith in me good sir?

"I see…" I relayed that I wanted to go up the tower with them this time to Mitsuru who obliged and let me go up with them. "Well then, we better get going. I'm looking for a sword called the Juzumaru…" Oh that. That sword was evil to get the first time. Stupid low encounter rate dungeon spawns.

I kept to the back as much as possible, while the team members continued pummelling the Shadows that came our way without much difficulty. "Erm, I hate to ask Minato-san… But why are we on the lower floors this time?" Yukari asked. That is a good question. If you do not answer in the next five seconds I'm answering for you. "Well, what I'm looking for can only be found here and apparently it can be sold for quite a bit of money. It could help keep our stores stocked up for a while…" Great job Minato. Yukari nodded in understanding, and caused a great amount of Pierce damage to an incoming Shadow without much effort.

What about you Junpei? A bead of sweat rolled its way down the side of my face in embarrassment as the capped teen was overpowered by a bunch of black blobs that I obviously didn't care enough about to scan. Hmm… So do I leave this to Minato, or do I step in and look like a badass?

But honestly, I was surprised by the cobalt-haired boy's apparent prowess with his sword without joining the Kendo club. I really have to wonder how, though it wasn't really important. He settled for joining the track team instead. Swimming was always a no go for me, since well… You got wet. And I hate drying off afterwards. It always takes way too freaking long to dry off for my taste. And the icky ground that's covered in water and hair and… My toes started to curl up as I thought about all the bad things that you found at a swimming pool. Oh… the horror… I'm making myself delusional now, aren't I?

But I'm seriously wondering now. It's not a bad thing by any means, but extremely curious. His sword strikes were that of a text book, solid. Too bad there was not much variety when you only have that. Hm… Gold treasure box… Ah right. Junpei. Thankfully our fearless leader jumped into the fray and took out most of the Shadows that were ganging up on the capped teen, leaving Yukari to clean up the rest.

"Hey. Minato." I pointed to the box that was sitting ever so innocently in a small alcove, and let him check it. He shook the box several times before opening it, and the prized Juzumaru katana waited inside. Wait! Gold Shadow, Gold Shadow, GOLD SHADOW!

I pounced on the unsuspecting gold hand and scuffled with it for a while before punching its lights out into the ground. Once it dissipated, what were left of it were a black sword and a bag of money. "Uh, Makoto-senpai? What were you doing?" Yukari asked as I stood up and dusted myself off. "This." I presented the bag of yen and the black sword to her. She nodded at the wad of yen but looked at the Weapon very quizzically. "Oh this? This is part of what I used for Makoto's sword." She 'ohhed' in realisation and nodded.

"Incoming Shadow, Makoto-san!"

I turned around to find this huge dancer thing, to which I responded with a swipe of Mukou. To my surprise, it was sent out of the building of Tartarus before it turned to black and red mist. OP much? I rubbed the back of my head with my free hand after sheathing my crystal sword just as quickly. "What?"

Minato looked pleasantly surprised, and I could tell that he was beginning to have second thoughts about his apparent lack of faith in me. Yukari was looking at me rather… dreamily… and Junpei with a look of awe and disdain. "Well, we got what we came for so can we go?" Snapping everyone out of their thoughts, we headed for the teleporter.

Akihiko didn't come because well… I was coming. So thankfully he didn't see my show of awesome right there. "Makoto-san… What happened to the Shadow? The enemy disappeared off my radar." Mitsuru asked. Um… "He blasted the thing right out of the building!" Junpei explained as he walked by. Thank you for your elegant response, capped one.

"Out of Tartarus!?" Mitsuru exclaimed. I rubbed the back of my head, kinda sheepish. "Yeah... Makoto-san's power seems to be much broader than I thought. He drew his sword and destroyed the Shadow and sheathed it, all in the blink of an eye." Minato added. Keep doing this, and you'll make me blush I swear.

"What?" I deadpanned as Akihiko and Mitsuru continued staring at me.

_09/05/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

Today is the Priestess Arcane battle on the monorail. I decided to get ready for this one, since I knew what was going to happen. I clipped Mukou and Mugen to my belt, with my guns covered up by my blazer and the actual swords. I just realised how strange it was that my arm had somehow returned back to its former state before the incident with Death. It was both great for me, but disconcerting at the same time. Great because now I won't get so damned hot all the time, and disconcerting because I wasn't fully used to having an arm of flesh and blood.

The alarm that announced the arrival of the Priestess Shadow rang out, prompting me to run up to the fourth floor along with Minato, Junpei and Yukari. Once I had reached the control room, I slowed down to a walk and came in after the kohai. Mitsuru was busy explaining the mission to everyone, though I did tune out a bit since I already knew the details of this mission. "Is everything clear? Alright then. I'll join you shortly after I get my scanning gear ready." I walked my way out of the room, glancing back at Mitsuru as she collected a box full of scanning appendices which I didn't even bother to properly look at. Not that I would have cared anyways. Pointless thinking for the win.

I sighed and made my way down to the bottom floor, collecting my keys from my room before moving out. "So… Who wants to ride with me?" Yukari looked back at me with pleading eyes, but reading her again, I could tell she didn't really mind too much either way. Akihiko… outright refused, saying that he needed to get more training in. Minato shrugged it off, but I knew that he wanted a ride. Next time Minato. That left Junpei who was jumping around like a little kid.

"But, Makoto-senpai… What happened to electronics and motor vehicles not working?" Yukari asked. "Doesn't apply to Persona. Come on Junpei. When we go back, Minato's going with me." I caught a glimpse of the cobalt-haired leader making a small fist pump as he followed out of the doors.

"Hey, hey… We haven't got all day." I beckoned Junpei over to Pale Rider, pushing in the ignition key and making more space for him at the back. I handed him the other helmet, and clipped mine on in the process. "Make sure you hold onto my shoulders tight." What Yukari did is only reserved for girls, and girls only. 'Cause then… I chuckled to myself, and Thanatos did the same except that he was guffawing instead. In fact, several Personae were laughing, and it was a little difficult to get them to shut up without Messiah yelling out that I needed concentration when I was in fact going to drive.

"Uh, you okay senpai?" Junpei asked as he squeezed my shoulder. "I'm ok…" Shaking my head out and trying to drown out the sound of my Personae. "Whew… Let's go." We breezed through the streets, and Junpei was grinning like mad. I could tell through my side mirrors. This familiar feeling of driving around in the Dark Hour was quickly becoming tainted by the fact that Minako wasn't with me. That warm embrace of hers when she wrapped her hands around my torso was just so different.

"Looks like… We're here." The purr of my motorcycle's engine came to a halt as I turned it off, and I pulled the ignition key out. I stepped off my bike, proceeding to slip my helmet off. I showed Junpei to put the helmet he was wearing on the handlebars of the bike. "That was really cool senpai!" Junpei complimented as he put his helmet on the handlebars like I showed him earlier. "Thanks. Made the thing myself." Junpei jumped back in surprise, not really believing me. "It's true."

Akihiko was being followed by the two remaining kohai, who were talking to each other rather animatedly. Most of all, Minato was actually smiling. I never really see him smile, and when he does they're often really small. He likes Yukari. I can tell. And Yukari… she seems to have the same reaction. There was a faint tugging at my heart, and it wasn't because Alice was pulling the strings. Mitsuru… In fact now that I notice it… I don't feel that same constricting feeling that Alice's black chains gave me. It was completely freed up.

"Hey Makoto." Akihiko greeted, still trying to catch his breath a little. "Hey Aki. How was your run?" Akihiko wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. "Pretty good. I'm all warmed up now." He threw a couple of practise jabs through the air, thankfully not in any direction that could cause immense damage to one's face.

Not that I would care, because of the Omnipotent Orb and all. Though… not getting hurt from anything… That still leaves a lot of loopholes. But I assume I can't really die from blood loss though. That would mean like a cut or a rip or something. Still so many possibilities…

I nodded to Akihiko after I broke out of my thoughts. "Sorry I'm a little late." Mitsuru too was on her motorcycle, except hers was white, while mine was black and white. And very different design too. I tuned out a little bit from Mitsuru's recap, and went to ask Philemon a very important question.

What does your presence in my consciousness even do? "Ah. I was wondering when you'd ask that. You can give Personae to others, and summon me as a Persona too." Ah… I hope my surprise isn't showing up on my face right now… Ha ha… Thank you Philemon… But I'll only summon you in the direst of circumstances ok? "That's fine. I would rather that my power not be used too often."

Cool. Minato seemed to be staring at me intently as I tuned back into their conversation. But it seems that he's picking out team members now… "I think I'll take Yukari and Junpei for sure… Makoto-senpai? Are you good to go?" I nodded. If this night goes like the last time, I may have to put Junpei in his place. Again. Akihiko still looked irked about Minato's decision, but he didn't have any objections.

"Alright then. Be careful, all of you." Mitsuru sent us off to walk to the offending monorail.

"The moon is so big… And it looks even creepier during the Dark Hour…" Yukari commented as we crossed the tracks. Creepy? No. Offending? Yeah. A lot. Dammit Nyx! "Why have you got such an angry expression on?" Minato asked while we were running.

"Well… I dunno. Full moon nights get me kinda worked up. Like I really, really want to kill something." The leader nodded. "I share your sentiments, though you do seem a lot more infuriated than I am." I chuckled mirthfully. "It has to do with what I told you earlier. How about we talk about that after this mission?"

Minato nodded once more, and he proceeded to run ahead with a slightly more satisfied expression than when he first started the small conversation. I too began sprinting ahead, Junpei running slightly out of breath once we reached it. "I say that we guys should go up first." I suggested, and Yukari let out a relieved sigh. Junpei just looked disappointed though. No panty flashes for you today capped one.

The brunette made her way up the ladder after us guys, but once she entered the train with us the door behind her shut tight. "Huh. I was wondering why it was open." Minato muttered under his breath.

"What happened? Are you alright?"

"We're fine Mitsuru-senpai… But it looks like we've been trapped on the monorail. I think the Shadow already knew that we were here." Mitsuru sighed. "I see. Then please, proceed with caution. We can't afford to land in an even worse situation than this." Something we can all agree with. "Yup. Ok guys. Let's go." Now that I think about it, why am I not minding Minato being the leader? Now that… that is something to think about.

We reached about the middle of the monorail before the train started jerking into motion with multiple lurches. "Looks like we better hurry…" Minato said, but of course that pesky Shadow came to distract Junpei. "Let me at it! I'll rip it to pieces!" Junpei readied his sword at the Tiara shadow, but Mitsuru popped in to assess the situation. "It appears that the enemy does indeed have this train under its control. What do you think?" This question was directed at Minato, who answered with, "We should stick together and go after it."

"Aww screw this! It's getting away!" Ok. "Junpei." My considerably darker and deeper voice which sounded a lot like the Reaper stopped him in his tracks. Gee, I wonder why. "One. This is a straight path. Two. Are you seriously going to disobey orders? I may not be the leader, but even I think that insubordination is infuriating. So get back in line… before I kill every single one of the individual pieces that you are cut up into slowly… and painfully." Junpei staggered back, and Yukari looked fairly terrified as usual. "Thanks senpai." Minato smiled, and ordered us to go further into the train.

After cutting through the Shadows that got in our way with utmost haste, we reached the front carriage with about four minutes to spare before collision. "Is this the freaking boss?" Junpei asked as we confronted the rather… suggestive Priestess Arcane. "Come on. We have to get rid of this Shadow quick." Minato ordered everyone to spread out and surround the Shadow as much as we could before begin his onslaught with a series of slashes. "Mitsuru-san, can you scan it?"

"I'll do my best." Yukari hit the Shadow hard with a Garu spell, cutting into the spongy flesh of the Priestess with ease. Junpei came next with a Cleave attack, scoring a rather deep cut in the Priestess Arcane. My turn, and this will be the final blow. I jumped up a considerable height, and swung both Mukou and Mugen in a cross formation, lopping the Shadow's head off. I was splashed with a huge amount of Ichor, but I relished it as Thanatos' instincts took my largely calm personality over as I charged through the space where the Priestess Arcane's head used to be.

"Whoa." Minato commented, while Junpei was wondering something. "What the!? Why are we still moving!?" He tumbled over onto the ground as a result of the jerking motions of the speeding train. "There's still the leftover momentum! You have to find the brakes!" I jumped into the driver's compartment and pulled down the brakes, making the train halt to a grinding stop. That squeaking of wheels it damned annoying.

Minato nodded at me with approval and a surprising amount of thanks. Eh? What is that shattering sound? Uh… The bluenette's silver eyes widened as a result of the shattering sound that he was no doubt hearing. Minato had an unusually big grin as a result, and it was so weird seeing him with one. With his stoic personality, it was a big surprise.

"Are you all alright?" No doubt Mitsuru almost had a heart attack because of what almost happened. Minato replied with, "Yeah, we're fine." Mitsuru let out a huge sigh of relief. "I'm so glad… I'm sorry I couldn't do more on my end." I wonder what Akihiko thinks of this. "I would consider this mission accomplished. Come on home." Minato nodded to himself as the communication was cut off.

Junpei recovered from the life-threatening ordeal with the same comment he made before. "Dude, I'm like, drenched in sweat." Minato took a step back from him, and at this I had to chuckle. "Is it over?" Yukari asked with a shaky voice. Minato nodded with a small smile. She too breathed out a sigh of relief. "Um, senpai… How did you know which one was the brake?"

Um… "It's a secret." I shot a look at Minato that told him that I'd tell him about it later. Meanwhile, Yukari gave an uncertain nod in response. We left the monorail with high spirits that night.

_10/05/09 Afternoon_

"Glad I caught up with you." Minato's voice came from behind me. He gave me a small grin as he approached me. "So… Did you notice that cracking sound last night?" I nodded slowly, wondering where he was going with this. "Apparently… I made a Social Link with you." Ah. So that's what happened. "Do you know what Social Links are?"

"What do you mean? I know what they are in essence already." I headed to the bike racks. "I'll tell you more when we get to the dorms. You want a ride?" Minato nodded with a small smile and put his offered helmet on.

Once we got back to the dorm, I said that I didn't really want anyone else to know until I thought they could handle the truth about me. See what I did there? Minato got the joke, and led me up to his room.

"So, what did you mean?" Minato asked as he sat down on his bed. "Tell me what Igor told you first." Minato nodded, not really knowing where I was going with this line of thinking. "He said that I could find Social Links, and that my power would increase if I made many bonds with people around me." That's it? That's… it?

"Let me tell you what I think about them, since you seem to only have a basic understanding of them." The bluenette's brow furrowed, but he nodded.

"When you establish a Social Link with someone, you form genuine bonds with people. Once you make those bonds… You're connected to them forever. To the point where they would trust you completely… To the point where they would even consider dying for you." Minato's eyes widened at that. Though… they did look a little hurt. "What I think is that making friends is the whole point. Getting stronger is just a really nice side benefit."

He nodded. "I see…" Huh. His eyes flashed blue for a moment. That is strange. "By the way… what's the Arcana?" The cobalt-haired kohai broke out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh… The World Arcana… Why?" I snickered at this. But my snickering was threatening to break out into a full blown laugh. "That… that is funny."

"Why?" He looked at me quizzically. "Because… Do you know the meaning of the World Arcana?" He shook his head no. "The World means… A person who knows their place in the world. Finding accomplishment. And ironically enough… The beginning of a new journey." He nodded in realisation, now knowing the reason behind my chuckles. It seemed that he agreed.

"My Social Link for the World… I learned a lot of things from her. And you know her already." I grinned. He gave me another inquiring look. "Eli-chan." I coughed. "I mean… Elizabeth." The usually stoic blue-haired leader grinned at this. "Haha. I was wondering why she seemed to like me so much." But Igor told me… That bastard.

"Anyways… I still haven't even begun to explain my timeline changes and whatever." Minato came back to attention with a more serious look. He stared at me very intently, probably to be able to concentrate on what I was saying.

"So… what happened first began ten years ago. With the encounter with that dark creature that was Death. The thing charged for me, and it actually cut my left arm off." Minato flinched at this, unconsciously clutching mentioned appendage. "Someone who I'm sure you'll meet later sealed Death inside me, and I was forced into a contract with the thing. Well…more like I was the one who pulled it closer and Death thought that it was pretty awesome that I wasn't resisting against it like it thought I would." Minato's eye twitched at this, probably in disbelief.

"So… since I was forced into a contract with the it, I was admitted into the Velvet Room." WITH EXTRAS I added in my head. "I was found by this kind woman who actually owns the antique shop in the mall. She exists in both lines." He looked as if he made a mental not to visit later. "She taught me about Persona and some other stuff, and I got super strong in a short amount of time. 'Other stuff' entails making stuff with Personae."

He looked over at Excalibur and nodded to himself. "Yup. On my first visit to Tartarus… I met Mitsuru." He was trying to imagine something, and it was bringing a large smile to his face. Are you trying to imagine chibi versions of me and Mitsuru meeting together at Tartarus and her blowing ice cold wind at my face? "Sorry. I was just imagining chibi versions of the both of you meeting at Tartarus and her pointing a sword at your throat." Wow. That was other half of what happened described perfectly.

Busy trying to suppress lots of chuckles, I continued. "When we met, we formed early SEES. Though it didn't really have a name when we first started. We trained in Tartarus together for a while, adding in Akihiko and another senior that you don't know about into the mix too." Not more chibis. 'Really?' was all I was thinking as I saw the bluenette trying to battle back giggles.

"Anyways… One day… My okaa-san was attacked by a bunch of thugs… And I got so freaking angry at pretty much every thug I came across, that I decided to leave her for three… three years and I pretty much annihilated every trace of criminal rings that I came across." Minato looked especially surprised at this. "You seem a lot more distraught about this. And I don't think it's just because of your okaa-san. Is there something else?"

"Did you have an imoto?" Minato shook his head. Huh. Even that changed? "Well, I did. And I didn't take her with me for obvious… reasons…"

"You ok?" Minato asked quietly. "Um… Right…"

"Wait. How old were you?" He asked. "Eleven…?" His eye twitched again. "And your imoto was…?" He questioned once more. "Ten." He fell backwards into his bed and quickly scrambled up as he recovered from the surprise. "Um… Continue…"

"Except that when I came back… okaa-san wasn't there anymore… It was just my imoto." The bluenette's eyelids rose and fell back down as his mood took a drastic change. "You lost them… twice?" I nodded slowly. "You could imagine how overprotective I became of all my friends when I found that out. Soon Junpei and Yukari came into our group after a few years, and two other members later." He nodded. No wild imagination this time…

"There are twelve. Twelve Shadows that we faced, all on full moon nights." He nodded. "You mean the Shadow that showed up a month ago, and the one that we fought yesterday? Then there are ten more?" I nodded. "I see…" I could see his eyes darting around on the ground, but they weren't constantly looking to his left or right. They looked as if they were forming strategies.

I chuckled a little. "The real kicker here is that because we're killing these Shadows, the Fall will be coming. Before you ask what that is, it basically means the end of the world." Minato was deadly silent as he took this information in. "There's nothing we can do about killing the Shadows, so you don't have to worry about that much. These Shadows are fragments of Death. Death in turn, summons a powerful goddess called Nyx, who in turn will bring about the Fall. You with me?" The cobalt haired leader nodded slowly, trying to digest all this information. "So… I'm assuming that you did manage to stop it." I nodded.

"That brings me to my next point. After I beat the crap out of Nyx and threatened to kill her, despite her being supposedly 'immortal' she transported me to this timeline to make me face the end of the world again. At least, I think that's why she did it. Damn insufferable…" I continued to mutter out several curses that Minato didn't seem to even recognise. Well then again I was switching between languages… He cleared his throat in an attempt to get my attention. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Sorry." He shook his head with a smile. "She sounds like a bitch. So what are we going to do about this?" I sighed. "Well, we're just going to have to keep on going with what's happening right now. But you have to get even stronger. Because of the contract that you're locked in, the only one who can stop the Fall is you. In this timeline anyway." He furrowed his brow. "How can I get stronger, aside from the training in Tartarus?"

"Well, luckily for you… I am in fact a master double sword user. I can teach you this style I've been developing. You like music… right?" Minato chuckled and presented his MP3 player to me. "Good. I think you should grasp it easily…" Philemon? Is it possible for me to grant him access to the God's Plain? "Mmhm." Thank you. "And after you feel like you can't get any stronger…" Because the apparent bar for levels was 99… "I'm going to work out a test for you." I chuckled darkly and he recoiled from my apparent malice.

"I'll let you do this if you can beat the Reaper solo." That'll be the day. One day of duty for Charon I suppose. Minato was sweating bullets at the mention of the Reaper… "A different Reaper than what you're thinking." He shot me a look that pretty much said, 'huh?' "How do you even know about our encounter with the Reaper? You didn't even come to Tartarus that time." I threw him one of my revolvers and he realised what exactly my 'important business' entailed. "You're… Oh my… Orpheus." Hah. I use Thanatos, he uses Orpheus. Said Personae began chuckling in my head. He gave the gun back to me.

"So… when do you wanna start training?" Minato mulled that over. "Maybe… If we can use the Velvet Room… I would say now… But…" I stopped him right there. Philemon. Is it possible for me to do what I'm thinking of? "Sure."

"Great idea. I'm giving you a set of new swords. Let's go." Casting an illusion over the one I used at the start of the conversation, I teleported us to the golden room and he was wondering, 'where the fuck am I?' "Welcome to the Concert Hall." Minato looked around in awe, and I saw Nameless make a wave to the apparent new guest to the Concert Hall from the mix room.

"How you going?" I shouted up to the figure. "Pretty good. Elizabeth hasn't been harassing me so that should be a start!" I chuckled. "Who was that?"

"We call him… Nameless. He's the mix master." Hah. That look he gave me. 'Mix master?' "You'll see. Anyways, the style of sword is called Backbeat." Minato nodded. I pulled out two Cipher blades from behind me and gave it to him. "Here. You'll need them." He took them into his hands and nodded.

"The basic principle to this style is music. The blades that I gave you called Cipher play different notes of music when you swing them, as long as you're thinking of a song. Give it a try." He nodded and when he began striking the swords in a basic combo, the first notes of 'Burn My Dread' rang out. You have great taste in music young patawan. That actually makes sense because I'm teaching him about sword techniques. Yatta!

"Whoa." I nodded in agreement.

"My blades are a bit different, but they have the same basic principle." I began to swing my blades in the pattern for 'It's Real' and to his surprise, the swords were singing out the full song as if the band Real Estate was actually playing it in front of him. "I guess this first lesson is just going to be theory." I noted.

"The main point of this style is that you move according to the certain nuances in a song that you want to use, and you'll know that you've got it right when you feel like you have a freaking band playing in front of you. Orpheus can help you since he has a hand in this kind of stuff. Right?" Orpheus appeared for the first time without using an evoker next to Minato and nodded as he dissipated into blue mist. "You need to teach me that too."

I laughed. "Yup. All you need to do is calm yourself completely, and then think about the Persona you want to summon. The others could do this too if they wanted to learn." Minato nodded. "And you haven't taught them because…?"

"Honestly? They don't ask." A large drop of sweat made its way down the side of Minato's face as if he was in an anime. "Ah. Well… Let me try." He squeezed his eyes shut in concentration, and from blue mist Orpheus appeared behind him. "Sugoi. You did great for your first try." Minato opened his eyes, and found that the figure of the master of strings was floating behind him, who gave him a smile before turning back to glass and mist.

"That is really convenient. Thanks _Makoto-sensei_." He teased as the musician disappeared. "That is weird being called that. I hope you know that." Minato merely chuckled in response.

The rest of our '30 minutes' was spent with me talking about some certain skills when they came up and the overall use of Backbeat. Needless to say, Minato soaked it all in like a sponge. Man he's a good listener. "So, that should be enough for today. We can start actually training tomorrow. Bit worn out from the explanation… Let's go." Minato nodded and I took his wrist and teleported back to his room.

"You think you're ready for more tomorrow?" Minato nodded with a smile. "Cool. And you know what… You can call me Minato-sensei when we're training instead. You have no idea how much I miss being called that. Makoto in public." Minato chuckled. "Alright Minato." I gave him a V-sign before going back to my room.

I have a great feeling about this. True to this, three shattering sounds rang out softly in succession like a set of bullets. Man, it increased that much? Then again, it was a lot of talking.

_11/05/09 After School_

"Makoto-senpai." Minato came up from behind me as I left for the doors and tapped my shoes to make sure they were on right. "Hey Minato. You ready for more?" He nodded and together we headed for my bike. I heard faint whispers of passer-by students pretty much saying why the flying fuck do we both look so similar? In fact, the only differences were my height, my ponytail and this ribbon. Lack of ribbon for me because that was what I used to tie up my hair.

I briefly wondered why I have the hugest urges to just shout out multiple profanities in my mind, occasionally in different languages today. This is very strange.

I parked my bike just outside the dorms like usual but of course, we teleported back to the Velvet Room just after that, bringing out our weapons while I cast an illusion so as not to raise any suspicion.

"Ok. First part that I figured out, basically involves the movement. Seeing as you've already got basic sword strikes down, this shouldn't be too, too hard." I explained. "What's your favourite song?" I asked.

He mulled it over for a bit. "Burn My Dread." Coolness. "Ok. I have this irking feeling that if I just performed some of this stuff in front of you… you might lose some confidence. Go with what you think feels right for now, and I'll see if there's any fixing you need. Since you're just starting out…" I poked my finger into his chest softly, and I could tell he was wondering what the freaking hell I was doing. "You should try to circulate Orpheus' SP around your body. It'll help. Trust me."

Oh right. Reason why I poked him? I was transferring some of Orpheus Crescendo's SP into him to help. Now… let's see what you can do.

He nodded and breathed out to relax himself as I felt his SP flow around his body. Then he started moving.

With an amount of prowess I wasn't expecting, he started swinging his two blades around in arcs, bringing to life the sounds of the electric guitar and electronic instruments. 'Burn My Dread' wasn't a fast moving song. In fact, it was pretty slow. But because of the song he chose, his movements were sure and steady. Of course, if he used the remix version later… and switched between the two like I do with 'The Battle for Everyone's Souls,' this wouldn't be a problem at all.

Over the course of the phrases, once he started swinging his blade in rhythm to each note…

The swords started off fairly slow, before going out into an all-out frenzy as the notes moved to become faster paced. The syncopation in the song made his movements even more unpredictable as a result.

"Great." At this moment, Minato stopped his swing at looked at me with a smile. "You really like music huh?" He nodded in agreement. "So, the next step would be to add jumps into this." Again I poked him in the chest, channelling my Thanatos' energy into him. "Now with that, circulate both amounts of SP and see what happens."

I watched. It was dead awesome seeing Thanatos' energy flow through him. He started bringing backflips and several somersaults into to equation, but I could see he was getting tired already. "Hey, you ok?" Minato landed from one of his jumps and nodded weakly. "This is pretty draining for me… I'm not really sure why though…"

"I think it's because your body isn't able to keep up with the energy that I gave you earlier." He rubbed his chest in response. "Oh. So that's what you were doing." I nodded.

"You didn't figure since I'm technically you from a different dimension that I could wield the Personae that you have too?" He thought about it for a few seconds, and finally came to a conclusion. "So… you have Orpheus too?" I nodded. "Yup. Except he's a little different from yours though." The cobalt-haired leader nodded in understanding.

"So, what was that about me not being able to keep up with the SP that you gave me?" He asked. "What I'm saying is that because of your current power and stamina levels, you aren't able to keep up with my exceptionally high level energy. Make sense?"

"Oh." Minato sighed. "Well, since I can't really give you that energy without tiring you out… What I want you to work on for now is the movements for the song without the use of your Persona. That will probably keep you busy for a while. That's especially difficult. You can do that since Orpheus is around your power level."

He nodded as he returned to going through the motions that Orpheus was channelling as he circulated the musician's SP in an attempt to get more familiar with how they worked.

After a couple of hours of training, Minato looked pretty tired. I was still impressed with the intensity that he was keeping up. "You know… I don't know if this means anything… But for what it's worth…" He picked himself off the ground. "I think you're a pretty good sensei."

Ah… "Well… thanks…?" Me? A good teacher? No way. "I'm serious."

"Your explanation clear, the pacing pretty good, and you let me train at my own pace. I think that's a warrant for a good sensei award." I could tell he was joking at the last part, though his other compliments tickled me a bit and made me warm and fuzzy inside. "Well then… Goes to say that you're a pretty good student. You manage to soak up everything that I tell you so easily." I hope your grades match up with that talent.

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly in response, and laughed a little bit. "Come on. Let's go." I took Minato by the wrist and teleported back to his room, dropping off our weapons before hitting the showers and getting some sleep.

_12/05/09 Morning_

Midterms. Yay. I knew that knowing the year's curriculum already was a good idea!

I will ace everything, and it will be an amazing show of courage, power and wisdom. I mentally cleared my throat. Why am I thinking about the Zelda series? It's been forever since I've thought about that video game franchise.

Poor Minato and everybody else who don't know what to expect from the test. My heart goes out to the aforementioned. So basically, I just talked about everybody else who isn't a student in the school. What is this extremely foreboding aura emanating from behind me?

I turned around to see who the heck it was, and… What are you doing here Shinjiro?

"Hi. Is there anything you need in particular?" The beanie wearing brunette grunted in response. Wow. He's even less talkative than the Shinjiro from my world. Not to mention that he doesn't seem to be polished up in the art of manners. His grunt was just like Sasuke's from Naru—

"Not really… But it's just that you look oddly familiar…" Thank you for interrupting my destructive thought. "Well, ok. I'm Yuki Makoto. But I'd rather people just call my Makoto. You're…"

"I'm Aragaki Shinjiro… You can just call me Shinjiro or Shinji if you want." I grinned. "You know, you came at a bad time. Midterms are starting a week from now." The Castor wielding teen paled considerably at this. "Someone remind me why I came back now…?" He muttered. All I had to give in response at that moment was a small chuckle.

Shinji shot a glare at me for that. "Eh. Unless you wanna get a crash course in a few minutes?" I suggested. The brunette thought about it. I didn't think that he would actually accept though. "Where you living?" Best to find out whether he's coming back or not now.

"I'm going to the dorms up at Iwatodai." Yes. You are awesome Minato. "Cool. I'm going there too. Wanna get a ride?" He shrugged, which basically translated to an 'I don't really give a fuck' in Shinjinese. I chuckled at that. "I'm surprised. You have a Persona…" I grinned at the taller of us who also shrugged at that.

I handed him a helmet while I finished clipping mine on, and he held on tight to my shoulders. The other of his hands was pushing down onto the seat. This is the weirdest thing to have the supposed badass of our team riding at the back. It looks more like he should be at the front. But if there is anything I've learned about prejudice, it's that no-one will actually care unless you bring it to their attention. This works most of the time.

Of course, if what they're noticing is so plainly obvious then of course they're going to start making judgements. For example, Minato and I yesterday. That had to stick out like a sore thumb.

"Yo. We're here." I stepped off Pale Rider, and chained it up to one of the bike racks as Shinjiro put the helmet he was wearing on the handlebars.

We both entered the dorm to find Minato was eating another chocolate bar of his. "Oh. Hey senpai. Who's that?" How does he have so many chocolate bars? Moving on… "This is Aragaki Shinjiro. Shinji…" I turned to face the beanie wearing brunette. "That's Arisato Minato. He's the field leader."

Shinjiro nodded. "Ok… Why do you two look so alike?" I glanced at Minato who shrugged. "We don't really know and we're just going with it." The brunette nodded once more, although he did look pretty uncertain about that explanation. Speaking of explanations… I still haven't looked at my file yet. Stupid. That's one of the first things I should have checked.

"Uhuh." It was at this moment that I left Shinjiro and Minato to their own devices and went looking for my file. I went up to the top floor to find Mitsuru and Akihiko in the control room. "Hi guys." The two seniors snapped to attention at the sound of my voice. "What can we do for you Makoto-san?" Mitsuru asked.

"Well first, someone called Shinjiro is downstairs. You guys know him right?" Akihiko looked at me with a huge amount of surprise. That turmoil of emotions was probably sending him everywhere at once… After all, his best friend did just come back. "Uh, yeah… I'll go see him…" Akihiko ran downstairs with as much speed as he could muster. Which was quite a lot. "Also… I'm curious about my file. Is it ok if I take a look?"

One of Mitsuru's eyebrows rose after I asked my question. She got up and gave me a folder that wasn't too thick or too thin. "May I ask why?"

"Just because. I mean, I'm sure that some other people already looked at them, so why can't I?" I gave her an especially mischievous grin, and her expression turned to one of surprise and a small amount of guilt. "It's fine. I'm not sure how Minato would react, but maybe you should get around to removing those cameras…"

The Kirijo heiress flinched as I revealed that I already knew about the presence of the offending machinery. "Thanks Mitsuru-san." I added before she could say anything.

I took the file back down to my room, and began leafing through the pile of papers.

There was nothing really interesting about it, aside from the fact that there was in fact, nothing interesting about it. There was nothing that really stood out except that Moonlight Bridge incident… but even that wasn't what actually transpired that night. I closed up the file with a considerable amount of annoyance.

I knew that I probably shouldn't have looked at it, and now… dammit. Further reminding myself of this hell that Nyx is putting me through… I am really coming to hate that bitch. In all honesty, I really just want to get to the end of this year and go back to my real friends. Those friends who I knew and the only family that ever really freaking stayed. And I wasn't to leave them either. But, somehow… again… fate is pretty much grinding me in between its hypothetical wheels that ever kept on turning. I hate it.

I'm fed up with it. I've had enough of it. Just let me freaking have my way for once!

I went to my routine after putting the file on my desk. After changing I fell back on my bed. If I didn't know any better, Minato would probably be leading them further up Tartarus today. Or maybe tomorrow.

But all I wanted to do was sleep, and sleep off my problems if only for a little while. I knew that complaining about this wasn't doing me anything, but…if you've been holding all this up for about ten years… You'd think that this resolve had broken much, much earlier. And it has, with a considerable amount of gaps.

First was when okaa-san was attacked. Second was when I found okaa-san was dead. Third was the police incident. Fourth is this time.

Even if crying doesn't make anything better… trying to suppress those tears is even worse. That is actually true.

_13/05/09 After School_

I took Shinjiro for a crash course on pretty much everything we had learned in the weeks so far. It was needless to say that the beanie wearing brunette was pretty tired by the end of it, but he at least seemed to absorb some of the knowledge that Yukari and Minato were force feeding him.

I was surprised by how quickly Yukari got relaxed around Shinji, though I wouldn't say the same about Minato. He wasn't the kind to get easily ruffled by callous facades like Shinjiro's, and was pretty used to dealing with them. He was the one that cultivated that patented stoic personality of his after all. So in short, he didn't really care either way.

While Yukari was shoving down as much of the curriculum down his throat… basically anyway, the bluenette settled for quipping remarks and making corrections whenever the pink obsessed brunette went wrong somewhere. I was left to pick up the pieces of what was given and explain what the heck they were talking about.

Great thing is… well… Shinjiro should be on the way to gaining those marks that he had so garnered in my timeline. If he had more time, I'm sure he could have gotten himself a much higher mark than what I thought he was going to get.

"So… I know that you probably couldn't get all of what they were saying… sorry." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, while Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. "Um… It's ok. I got most of it… I think." There were chuckled to be had at that one. "Unless…Do you wanna try this again with just me? While I'm sure Yukari-san's… method is highly effective… I think she was giving you too much information at one time."

He too chuckled. "Got that right. Man… It's like Mitsuru forcing Aki to study all over again. Those were dark times." Dark times indeed. But then again, what would I know? I somehow aced everything without studying. Now that is a talent.

_13/05/09 Dark Hour_

This is a record. Minato, what are you doing?

I pulled my Velvet Room clothes on and clipped everything that I needed on my belt. Including my pocket watch. I teleported to the floor where I could feel the presences of Minato and his team.

Shake the chains. The pacing of the footsteps quickened as a result of my rattling, and I knew Mitsuru had to alert them just to make sure. "I sense Death!"

I began walking around the halls of the Arqa block and I finally found the cobalt-haired leader running around… Oh… He's looking for… that Shadow for Elizabeth's requests. You're lucky I'm feeling forgiving today. I snapped my fingers and more of the Phantom Mages that they were evidently trying to find.

Minato's team turned as they saw the group of Shadows and engaged in battle with them. Let's see what you do, Minato.

The blue-haired kohai drew both Cipher blades and ordered everyone to surround the peculiar Shadows. Minato went first, letting out a few notes of 'Burn My Dread' as he spun and weaved through the Shadows that weren't doing much to dodge. But that was mostly because of how fast he is. That training I've been giving him is definitely coming into play, and it looked near perfect. Of course, because of the fact that if he tries to do any more than just practising the motions he'll collapse… The strikes didn't pack as much power at times, but thankfully 'Burn My Dread' is a hard hitting song.

Yukari was firing wind-sharpened bolts at the Shadows and they were ripping through them, leaving spiral marks as they pierced through. That is a really good idea though… Using her wind manipulation to do that… It's safe to say that our pink haired brunette is improving with leaps and bounds.

Akihiko was punching several one-twos and they were getting pushed back by a significant amount. He wasn't even using his Persona either! That's our boxer captain, I thought as I smiled.

Junpei… I realise that I might not have been talking to him much but that's because he's avoiding me, and I don't feel like talking to him. Geez man, you need to lower your SP and stamina consumption here! You're using your Persona so much it's hurting me. At least he gets the job done though...

After the remaining Shadows were cut down, Minato proceeded to pick the lanterns that they left behind from the ground and put them in his bag.

"Yo." The team jumped back in surprise once they heard my voice, thought Minato stood still. I gave them all a two-fingered salute as I landed from my vantage point. I probably shouldn't do that again though. My back is cramping up a little. "Um… Hi?" Minato waved back at me while everyone was looking at him like he'd grown a second head. "Yup. Come on, relax. Do you really think that someone like me would spend ALL of my time trying to track you guys down and give you some incentives to get you to climb the tower faster?"

"Yes." Minato replied bluntly. "Have you no faith in me good sir? Anyways, you can tell me when you want certain Shadows to show up. As much as I know that good lady that I know you're talking has your best interests at heart, it does slow you down." Again, everyone was wondering what the heck I was talking about.

"Oh thanks. The only way you could make it more convenient to get this stuff is if this stuff came in treasure chests too." The bluenette teased.

"Hah. If I could I would, but I can't. Sorry. Even I can't control how the dungeon spawns show up unfortunately." I replied. That look on Junpei's face. It's pretty much like, 'are we in a video game?' "No you're not in a video game capped one." Junpei's face fell immediately.

"Anyways, gotta go. See ya guys, later." I teleported out of the labyrinth and landed around the lobby.

Mitsuru flinched from surprise, and Shinjiro was on the defensive immediately.

"Hi." Mitsuru looked about ready to draw her blade and poke me with it. I say poke because of the Omnipotent Orb and all. "Relax, I don't want to fight right now." She cautiously took her hand off the rapier she was hovering over.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with an icy tone. "Just wanted to clarify a few things for ya. That Ikutsuki guy… You all know very well that he's a traitor, right?" Mitsuru nodded uncertainly, but it was a nod nonetheless. "Well just wanted to let you know that I was the one who killed the bastard. Cool?" The Kirijo heiress stared at me with all disbelief.

"Also, for newcomer, I am the Reaper. Nice to meet ya." Shinjiro was quivering from the mention of the name. "I see you took up my offer though. Coolness Shinji-kun." That. Sounds. So. Girly.

If I didn't know any better, Mitsuru was trying to hide a laugh at Shinjiro's apparent new nickname. She was doing a pretty darn good job. I grinned and teleported out of the tower straight after that.

* * *

AN: Thanks for the new reviews! You guys know who you are. XD

Anyways, I have found that my 18-20 page quota seems to be harder to get to now because of how my writing comes in huge blocks of paragraphs… geez. What do you think of the paragraphing anyways? I'm curious.

Also, I hope you guys are liking how the (16)Minato is turning out so far now that he has that Social Link with (17)Minato. That cold exterior's coming off! Hehe… Tell me what I can improve on! I would really appreciate it!

Plz review and no flames!


	14. Coming Storms

_14/05/09 After School_

"Um, Makoto-senpai…" I could recognise that voice pretty well now, and the way that he carried himself always gave who it was away. This was because he was more stoic and laidback, so he had this thing where he leaned slightly back because he too lazy to stand up straight. This meant that his steps had a slight delay. "Yeah Minato?"

"Oh, I just wanted to thank you for helping us last night. If you didn't, I would have to go up from the last teleporter again." I know how you feel, but I don't mind too much anymore because of my awesome teleportation powers. Speaking of which… I've been noticing a smaller delay in me using the technique. If I get to the point where I can use this several times in a row, I will be extremely happy.

"It's fine. I was just feeling pretty forgiving last night. It just depends." Minato cringed as he realise what I could have done to him if I wasn't feeling as benevolent as I was. All of the Megidolaons would be fired. Yes… "…Ok. Wanna go train?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Why not?"

Like usual, we dropped off Pale Rider and headed to the Velvet Room.

"Minato… what level are you at now?" The bluenette paused for a moment, and finally replied with, "About fifty… Why?" I nodded. "A few more levels and we can finally get you started on the next part. It might be a small change, but you'll need the body strength and stamina for at least sixty-four." The cobalt-haired leader nodded. "That isn't too far off… Alright."

I began watching Minato again, and I realised something as he was bringing out the electronics for Burn My Dread once again. I wasn't able to put my finger on it… But is his style actually a tiny bit… unguarded? Hmm… I'll need to see more of it later when he's actually fighting.

Know what? I am pretty impatient. "Minato, I just wanted to try something." The blue-haired kohai nodded slowly and approached me, swords in hand. I too drew both of my blades, and got myself into a stance. "Attack me with everything you got. I'm not likely to get hurt, so don't worry too much." And I can heal myself instantly, I added in my head.

Minato spread out his blades, and got into a fighting stance that I had never seen before. I was way too… there was little to no guard. Anywhere. He began to charge at me with all this ferocity that I had never seen before, and he began to swing his swords. This wasn't like a dance. This was a beast.

I dodged out of the way without breaking a sweat despite the pressure that he was putting on me. It was an impressive amount of killer intent, I had to admit. Again he charged, but the strikes he was pulling this time was more of a combination of the wolf-like viciousness that he was displaying and the grace of the music that was pulling him along.

This next combo was much harder to dodge.

Thankfully, the impending strikes were dodged by a hair's breadth, using very little energy to get out of the way of the otherwise lethal stabs that he was trying to land. It was at the last stab that I managed to get a hold of his arm, and throw him backwards, letting him land on the ground. "Ok… I was just testing something…"

I silently cast a Diarahan spell on the cobalt-haired leader, alleviating the pain that he was not doubt feeling. "Sorry. But I just need to see something, and I think I was right."

One of Minato's eyebrows rose a little probably wondering what I was talking about. "I want you to go back to training again, but circulate this SP as well." I poked him in the chest once more, filing in the Spiritual Pressure of a certain red wolf…

Now that I'm doing this again… Why am I actually poking him? Is it because it's funny? I dunno…

Low growls were rumbling out from Minato's throat, and I had to admit that the snarling was on par with Ray's. Once he started, the strong animalistic urges that Skoll had invoked was encouraging a lot less guard, but the amount of killer intent, speed and power that were coming from his strikes were so much stronger now. It was like… seeing a real wolf.

The music that was pouring forth from the two Cipher blades was much different as well. Long gone was the melody of 'Burn My Dread.' What replaced it was a metal song called San Sebastian. I haven't listened to Sonata Arctica in a long time, but Minato's swings were bringing it back in full.

"Minato." The blue-haired kohai stopped and looked up at me. "How about that? Are you feeling ok?" The cobalt-haired leader nodded with a grin. "This is a lot better… What did you do?"

"I channelled a different Persona's energy into you to see what would happen, and it looks like it worked. I was just thinking since you appear to have some sort of animal instinct for this kind of stuff…" For whatever reason and he can tell me about it later. "I gave you more of it, and it seems that worked better."

Minato thought about it for a while, and then nodded. "I see. My beast-like instincts are something that I try to keep under wraps, but of course I can't hide this kind of thing from my sensei." He smiled a little at that, and I did the same. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The bluenette's smiled creased into a grin. "A bit later. But thanks for seeing that. I think I'll keep on practising for a bit longer."

I nodded slightly. I wonder what he means by 'later'. Probably after training I suppose.

After Minato finally puffed himself out, we decided to head back to the dorm and help Shinjiro with his crash course. I can only hope that Yukari wasn't here early and didn't already start shoving far too much information into Shinjiro's head in one go. "Hey Shinji. You ready for some more?" Oh good. Yukari isn't here.

He grunted and made his way to the table in the kitchen section. I am taking that as a yes.

Minato and I sat down with the beanie wearing brunette to get him to some actually productive studying. It was good because we managed to go through pretty much all the curriculum by evening. With a certain other bluenette's help. While most of the remarks that he made were a little sarcastic, they were true in every sense, and helped to correct Shinjiro or me whenever something went wrong. And he's not even in the third year.

It was needless to say that Shinjiro got out of that crash course pretty unscathed despite the amount of work that we had gotten through today.

After that, Minato and I went back to his room to discuss a few things.

_Evening_

The cobalt-haired leader quietly closed the door behind him and settled himself on his bed, while I sat in the chair that sat near his study desk.

"So… Why don't you start with those instincts of yours?" Minato nodded. "Well… After the Moonlight bridge incident, I was pretty much tossed around the country since none of my relatives could really take care of me. For what reasons, I don't know. But… while I was staying in Tokyo, with one of my cousins I met this girl." It's always the girls that change you when you get around to it. Minako and Mitsuru were the ones that did it though. "Her name was… Ray."

Damn this girl gets around. In my timeline and in this one too? "She was… ok I'll admit it. I had a bit of a crush on her." There was a mind shattering sound and it wasn't from a Social Link. "Ray was kind, cool, caring and always seemed to make others around her happy."

She did have that kind of quality around her now that I think about it. She got me up on my feet almost as fast as Minako could. That's saying something. "Not only that, but she was really overprotective of others. Naturally, if we somehow got into trouble she would lash out at them. More often than not, she had her way."

This is only further cementing the fact that she is a girl version of me. "But the way that she fought any thugs off was so beast-like that it started to influence me a bit I guess." With her Persona being Skoll, I wouldn't be surprised. That Persona is so animalistic that it could put Thanatos to shame in certain situations.

"Ray was in my timeline too." I grinned. One of Minato's eyebrows rose in response. "That seems like her. Though, I met her when she was a lot older." The bluenette nodded, obviously trying to mull that over.

"But Ray seemed to have this chip on her that made her especially touchy when she encountered a friend of mine…" That was pretty unnerving, even for me. The amount of killing intent she was giving off was so strong.

"Wonder why?" Minato muttered. "I'm not even completely sure. Well… thanks for telling. I'm gonna go to sleep soon." The cobalt-haired kohai nodded and fell back on his bed as I walked out of the door.

_25/05/09 Lunchtime_

Yay. Midterm results. Love them. As if.

Cool thing is that I got top marks. Hooray. Mitsuru tied with me too. Shinjiro did above average though considering the circumstances I think he should be happy about that. Akihiko did fairly well too, though it was nowhere near the level that he showed in the other timeline.

I heard from Minato that he too got full marks in his grade, while Yukari settled for an above average. And like I say when you put exams and Junpei together.

We don't talk about Junpei.

"Tres bien, Makoto-san. You did quite well on the exams, despite your apparent lack of studying." She said the last part with a small amount of anger. She was probably annoyed at the fact that I got top marks with her when she actually studied. Well excuse me for studying in another timeline.

"Thanks Mitsuru-san…" I smiled slightly as I turned to face her. "Um… What's wrong?" The redhead was snapped out of her thoughts thanks to my voice, and she started blushing madly. "N-nothing! Let us go, Makoto-san." Uhuh. Wonder what that's all about?

_01/06/09 After School_

Summer uniforms! Well, I'm happy that I'm going to get to actually appreciate summer now because I don't have to wear my blazer and feel hot all the time. The horrors of having to wear my hoodie during that trip to Yakushima… Horrible. Well, I didn't use my bloody one for obvious reasons.

"Hey, Makoto-senpai." Minato greeted. "Yo. Whatcha guys doing?" Minato wasn't the only one following me. Junpei and Yukari were coming too. "Oh, we were planning to go to Mandragora to celebrate the coming of summer. Wanna come? We were also planning on asking Shinjiro-senpai and Akihiko-senpai, but they don't seem to be available." The brunette explained.

"That's a shame. I would have liked to see Shinji and Aki try their hands at singing. What about you Junpei?" Junpei seemed to agree as he pulled a giant grin that signalled that he really wanted to see as well. Even if I've already seen them sing, it's always funny to see them try. Shinji's performance is always surprising, since he's actually not half-bad. Too bad he cracks when he gets to higher notes though.

Yukari giggled at that. It seemed that she also wanted to see them try as well. Minato's small smiled said the same thing. "Well, thing is… I still have to drop my motorcycle off. In a bit…" The bluenette shrugged. It didn't seem that he cared any particular way. "Yeah…I'll catch up with you guys in a bit."

The juniors nodded, and went off on their way.

Teleporting both me and my motorcycle. I sighed and did just that. I waited until the coast was clear and even cast an illusion so that people wouldn't think I'm crazy or something, and also because I wouldn't know if there are passers-by at the dorm.

I also decided to run to Paulownia Mall this time, just because. It reminded me of the mad dashes that Minako and I used to go on when she was still in middle school. It was funny because whenever we passed by Akihiko, he would try to chase after us but… knowing how fast the both of us can go, there wasn't any chance for him to be able to catch up to us.

I soon arrived at the mall, not even tired. I wonder if it's possible to be too fit… That would be very strange, and another easy way to make people stop exercising.

"Hey senpai!" Junpei waved to me as he ran ahead of the brunette archer and the blue-haired leader. "Hey Junpei. We better get going. I have to let out some steam." What? I haven't practised singing or doing anything with my instruments for a while now. It's actually making me kinda sad.

We entered Mandragora, and we were busy choosing what order we were going to go in. Yukari said she didn't mind going first, and I wanted to go last. Junpei said he wanted to be second since Yukari took his seat as first, while Minato took the remaining third spot.

Yukari wasn't half bad. The song she chose was this one called 'Sky's the Limit.' I had recognised it as one of the songs that Rise sang at her secret gig down at Escapade.

Junpei chose this song called 'This is War,' though it was the shorter version without the outro at the end. Otherwise, the song would be six minutes long. Contrary to what I was expecting, it wasn't that bad. You can't say it was good though. Better than Akihiko.

Minato of course somehow managed to find his favourite song 'Burn My Dread' by some miracle. I wouldn't have expected that man's music to show up here. He was pretty decent. He got about the same score as Yukari. Of course the original singer was a girl, so who could blame that?

Why do I have this strange feeling about everyone getting jealous of me? Eh. I picked this song which was also a style that I used for Backbeat. 'Be My Escape.'

_I've given up, on giving up slowly. I'm blending in so you won't even know me, apart from this whole world that shares my fate…_

_This one last bullet that you mention is my one last shot at redemption, because I know to live you must give your life away…_

_And I've been housing all this doubt, and insecurity and I've been locked inside that house… All the while you hold the key._

_And I've been dying to get out, and that might be the death of me, and even though there's no way of knowing where to go, promise I'm going, because…_

_I gotta get outta here…_

_I'm stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake…_

_I gotta get outta here…_

___And I'm begging you, I'm begging you, __I'm begging you, _to be my escape.

_I've given up on doing this alone now, 'cause I've failed and I'm ready to be shown how. You've told me the way, and I'm trying to get there._

_And this life sentence that I'm serving… I admit that I'm every bit deserving. But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair…_

_'Cause I've been housing all this doubt, and insecurity and I've been locked inside that house… All the while you hold the key._

_And I've been dying to get out, and that might be the death of me, and even though there's no way of knowing where to go, promise I'm going, because…_

_I gotta get outta here…_

_'Cause I'm afraid that this complacency is something I can't shake…_

_I gotta get outta here…_

_And I'm begging you, I'm begging you, __I'm begging you, _to be my escape.

_I am a hostage to my own humanity; Self-detained and forced to live in this mess I've made._

_And all I'm asking is for you to do, what you can with me. But I can't ask you to give what you've already gave… _

_'Cause I've been housing all this doubt, and insecurity and I've been locked inside that house… All the while you hold the key._

_And I've been dying to get out, and that might be the death of me, and even though there's no way of knowing where to go, promise I'm going, because…_

_I gotta get outta here…_

_I'm stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake…_

_I gotta get outta here…_

_And I'm begging you, I'm begging you, __I'm begging you, _to be my escape.

_I fought you for so long, I should have let you in…Oh how we regret those things we do…_

_And all I was trying to do was to save my own skin, but so were you._

_So were you…_

I don't want to deal with fate right now. Just let me spend some time for myself. If you can see why I picked this song… I grinned to myself a little as I realised that I had gotten top scores again.

"I didn't know that you were good at singing, Makoto-senpai!"

"Dude, that was pretty awesome!"

Minato didn't say much and he looked pretty sad. He must've known why I picked the song. Some parts of it were true, and they connected with me. "Thanks. But I'm feeling kinda burned out. I think I'll just watch for the rest of this." The faces of the two complimenting kohai fell; they obviously wanted to hear me for a little more.

I have to question now… who is the one that is suffering? Is it my friends? Is it me?

I don't mind this. I tell myself that, but this isn't true in the slightest. I miss my friends. Those people that gave me friendship, those people that gave me romance and those that gave me family. I wanted to see them all again.

I don't know why I'm treating this separation as some kind of punishment when I've already been forcing myself to wallow in this feeling of guilt that I got when I found out that I couldn't protect all of the precious people in my life. Or…when I hurt them.

Then, what about my friends who were offering that unbreakable bond? They were probably hurt that one of their precious ones had been taken as well. Minako was without a brother, even if I am a crappy one in my opinion, and Mitsuru was without her betrothed who I've been with for about three years. It wasn't official for a while because we were just really close friends at first, until it was bound to grow into something more with all the time I spent with her.

Hell even if I'm imagining all this, I don't even know exactly what happened when that bitch sent me here. I don't know what happened over there nor if there is even a point to me trying to get back there. I wouldn't know whether the timeline was paused for a while since I was gone, and under the circumstances… anything was likely.

_Evening_

Unusually for tonight, everyone was finally here in one place. I mean everyone, including Mitsuru. Yeah. We were all sitting at the table, Shinjiro looking at a cooking magazine that I knew was actually disguised, Akihiko drinking a protein shake, Mitsuru reading the newspaper, Yukari and Junpei talking about… whatever, Minato listening to music and attempting to take a nap in his chair, and then me.

"Hey Yuka-tan! Have you seen the posts on the student message board?" Yukari simply kept on staring and waiting for him to finish whatever it is he was talking about. "You know how last week that girl was found by the front gate?" No-one could be oblivious to the rumours that were going around the school's rumour mill. Not even me, and I don't pay attention to that stuff.

"Well, there's this rumour that it was this angry spirit from this one ghost story." Mitsuru's interest was piqued, while Akihiko was wearing a grin and Shinjiro merely groaned in response. Yukari… was attempting not to kill the capped teen.

"H-hey come on! Nobody believes that stuff… Right?" Unfortunately for you Yukari, this is what you're going to have to deal with when you have people like Junpei around. Incidentally, I heard that Junpei is actually one of the biggest sources of information to the complex and fast-moving rumour mill from Minato. Best to be careful with the capped one.

Then what about Kenji? From what I gathered from my hanging out with him, he was also another major source for the spread of information. Though, it was a little strange finding him in the sophomore year instead of the senior one like in my timeline. I dunno.

Way to push this on Mitzy! "So, what is this ghost story about?" The redhead asked. The brunette exclaimed in disbelief at her senpai's sudden interest with the obviously exaggerated story. Though… what she didn't know is that Mitsuru has a very faint fear of this kind of stuff that Junpei is mentioning too.

Yukari slammed her hands on the table as if she was a certain blue wearing lawyer from Phoenix Wright, pulling a 'Hold it!' "It's probably made up, so why bother!?"

Akihiko grinned. "I'm interested. Go ahead and tell us." He was obviously getting some kind of joy by putting Yukari in this kind of situation. Never knew you could be so cruel Aki. Shinjiro was less than impressed and was probably siding with Yukari on this one, considering the fact that he doesn't believe a word of this story. "Uh…" Yukari tried to push the subject matter at hand away but wasn't getting any words to come to her mouth, so she stepped back from the innocent table that just got smashed on.

Junpei came forward with one of his trademark grins, and… where the heck did he get that flashlight? And why did the lights turn off automatically? You were waiting for this, weren't you Junpei? Minato finally pried his eyes open, probably wondering about the sudden lack of light in the room and turned towards Junpei. He saw what was happening, and merely shrugged at this. Obviously the capped teen's antics were nothing new to him.

Said teen placed the flashlight under his chin, and let the yellow light cast shadows that accented his cheekbones and jaw among other things, making him look a tiny bit more mysterious. Shinjiro realised that he wasn't going to be able to read his much loved magazine due to the lack of light and decided to close it for the time being.

"Good evening. Welcome to Junpei's believe it or don't." I tried to fight back snorts of laughter that were trying to come through because of how well Junpei was scaring Yukari at this moment. "There are many strange things in this world… According to one story…" Junpei closed his eyes as if in an attempt to make his story all more the more unnerving. I wasn't really sure about this, but I went along with it.

"…If you get caught at school late at night, you'll be a devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls!" His voice started becoming like that of a villain by the time he got to the word 'devoured', and his voice rose in volume as he finished his sentence. Well, ain't this story close to the truth? Tartarus anyone?

Minato chuckled as he too seemed to come to the same conclusion as I did. "The other day, this friend of mine—Ke.. I mean, let's call him Shu." I sighed. "It was Kenji wasn't it?" Minato and I spoke in unison as we again came to the same conclusion. "Maybe… maybe not."

"He said to me, 'Junpei, I saw something strange…'" Junpei's face of recollection turned to one of slight scepticism as he continued. "He sounded serious, so I asked him what he had seen." Kenji? Serious? Only time he was ever serious was that phase when he wanted to hook up with some MILFs… who were our teachers nonetheless! "He said it was about the girl in 2-E."

I had a feeling I knew where this was going. "He claims he saw her go into the school on the night of the incident." This is definitely sounding awfully familiar… Then I realised that I had remembered Minako telling me some vague details of the story. Vague because she too thought the story was rubbish and decided not to tell too much about it to me.

"I couldn't believe it." Junpei shrugged. "She's not the kind of girl to be out at night…" True but I would change that to 'be out at night at school'. Although no-one should really do that anyway. If I know who I think this rumour is about, then I would also know that she wasn't the kind of person who would want to go out at night, let alone by her lonesome. "But Shu was as white as a sheet. He insisted it was true." The capped teen explained.

"Then, it hit me." Whatever hit you on the head to make you believe whatever rubbish that I know you are spouting I will never know. "That ghost must have tried to make her its dinner!" Well… Ok it wasn't that bad. I would wager that it was a Shadow instead though. "And that's why they found her lying on the ground by the gate." Likely. I'm being serious.

If this girl, for some hare-brained reason would go to the school late at night which I would translate as 'around midnight' then she would have been trapped in Tartarus, eaten by a Shadow, and come back out with a bad case of Apathy Syndrome. This is what happened back in my timeline too. But if this is right… Shit. Fuuka's stuck in the tower.

She would be able to avoid the Shadows easily because of her Persona. Not that she knows that, but she would since hers is a sensory type. We have to go rescue her soon… Or maybe… The Reaper could. I snickered to myself as I came up with that.

"I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat…" The capped teen's voice wavered as he so eloquently described the sensations that he felt. What is it with you and sweat? Seriously. "Yes… There are strange things in this world…" His voice ran low to make it sound a little more intimidating. "Believe it, or don't."

Welp, that was interesting. Kinda… I like how he described it and the tone of voice he used, but the subject matter just didn't sell it for me. "…What do you think Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked slowly, most likely recovering from the frankly horrible story that Junpei just told. With the same grin from before—Wait. When did the lights turn back on? "I think it's worth investigating."

Shinjiro scoffed. "Sure Aki. Sure." With a groan, the beanie wearing brunette went back to reading his magazine with fervent ardour. "Wow. I didn't know you were scared of ghosts Yuka-tan. That's kinda funny." Junpei commented. You're right Junpei. That is kinda funny. There are better things to actually be scared of after all… "Hey! Watch it!" Yukari warned.

"F-fine! Then let's investigate! We'll each ask around for the rest of the week." If only to calm your fears about this Yukari. I wonder why I'm not just going to tell them the whole story? "I'll prove to you that this ghost story is just some urban legend." She declared with an amount of anger and enthusiasm. What would you call that?

"I'd appreciate that. The story is a bit unnerving." The redhead smiled at the juniors, pretty much saying that they were the ones who were going to be doing all the work. That's Mitsuru. "Then I'll let you guys handle it. Just make sure you sleep with one eye open…" Akihiko smiled. Oh you cruel, cruel bastard, I smiled to myself. A depressed aura surrounded Yukari as she realised what the silver-haired boxer was implying. "Whatever guys. You know I'm not interested in this stuff…" Shinji walked back up to his room to read in peace. Yukari turned to the remaining kohai and me, pleading for some help.

I glanced at Minato, who was smiling a little. "No promises Yukari-chan. But if I manage to catch anything I'll let you know." Further confirming my theory about Yukari and Minato. "Thanks Minato-kun." The fact is they weren't using the honorifics out of respect anymore. It was because they both thought it would be cuter if they used those instead of calling each other without.

"Eh. I think you're worrying too much Yuka-tan. Like you said, just a rumour." The pink wearing brunette merely glared at the capped teen, probably threatening to blast him with a Garula spell.

"I suppose… just so long as you don't suggest anything reckless after that…" I yawned a little as I warned the three juniors. "I'm going to bed. See ya." I threw a glance at Minato that told him to come up to his room for a little bit. The remaining teens dispersed while Minato headed up to the stairs just after me.

"What's this about? Is there anything I need to know in particular?" Minato asked as he lay down on his bed. "You see, I guess I should tell you about the real meaning of the ghost story." Minato nodded slowly, not knowing where I was going with this. "You see, there isn't any ghost, but I think you'd have figured that out already." He nodded not too long after that, indicating that he agreed on that aspect.

"Let me tell ya. There's a group of bullies at school, who are harassing this one student named Fuuka Yamagishi. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know her name, since she's been listed absent for a while." Minato mulled that over for a few minutes before he spoke. "Oh, I think I've at least heard about her from Yukari… She said the same thing about her, and that it was because she got sick a lot."

"Well, she isn't listed absent because she's sick you know." The bluenette's eyes widened. "She's been missing. For a while now even." The cobalt-haired leader bit his lip. "One day when she was getting harassed by this group of bullies, she was somehow trapped within the school… In Tartarus." Minato realised what I was getting at. "I doubt even bullies would leave someone to die like this. They must have come back and… Oh Orpheus. Then that girl at the school gate must've gotten…Apathy Syndrome."

"Bingo. Welp, I feel like saving some damsels in distress right now. See ya." One of Minato's eyebrows rose as I announced that. I'm not going to be getting much sleep today huh?

_Dark Hour_

After getting ready for Reaper duty like I did sometimes when a certain-blue haired leader was being slow I teleported to a floor in Arqa that I could feel a presence on. From what I could tell the team hadn't ventured up here yet, as there weren't enough traces of SP to go on.

From what I could tell with Fuuka's Persona, it really didn't use all that much SP. Going along with the fact that she doesn't have an Evoker it was actually a little difficult to get a direct pinpoint on her location.

"Who are you? Are you human?" A small and scared voice echoed through the halls of the floor I was on. Looking around, rounding corners and reducing the Shadow count by a little I finally made my way to a certain teal-haired girl.

"Hey. Are you alright?" The girl froze up when she saw me, but considering the SP signatures that I had on me, I guess it would be natural. "Yo, don't worry. I'm a regular guy. Your name is…?"

"U-um… My name is Yamagishi Fuuka…" Her shaky voice came out. "Cool. I would tell you my name, but you would probably get scared of me." I scratched the back of my head.

"Anyways, you wanna get out right?" She nodded meekly, and held out my hand. She pushed her hand out to meet my fingers, but they kept on hovering there. "Come on. It's alright." Fuuka looked up to meet my lone blue eye, and with a final push her hand was clasped around mine in a fairly tight grip.

"Ok. Just follow me and don't let go." She nodded, and I could only give a grin in response as I headed for a teleporter pad. Avoiding the Shadows and using slight amounts of killing intent to drive then off our path, we reached the green glow of the teleporter. "Sorry about that. Now, if you wanna get out, you just have to step on that and you'll be led down to the exit."

The teal-haired girl still looked pretty unsure of the pad, and took a small step back. "Don't worry. I've been through one of these and they're completely safe. Only thing is they can make ya a bit queasy after you go through them." She was caught off guard by the joke at the end, but giggled a little bit. "Do you trust me?"

She hesitated, but nodded slightly after a few seconds. "Ok. Then, I'll meet you at the bottom." I led her onto the green pad, and she disappeared in a small flash of bright green light.

"Well, that was easier than I thought." I mumbled to myself as I tipped my hat and teleported to the bottom floor.

"Hey. So how was the ride?" I asked with a grin as I found Fuuka stepping awkwardly off the teleporter. "Um… It was strange… but…" I waited for the rest of her response. "Thank you for saving me." I bowed as if an actor at the end of my performance. "No, it's fine. But can you do for me a small favour?"

She tensed up a little but waited for me to go on. Oh Fuuka. You need to get rid of that confidence problem soon. "It's nothing big… You see, I want you to meet up with someone from your school called Yuki Makoto. Since you know a few things he can explain them fully… He may even offer you something, but you're welcome to decline." Though it would make climbing Tartarus so much easier…

"Alright… And… Thank you again for saving me." I nodded. I accompanied her to the outside of the tower, and needless to say she was quite surprised by how things had changed. "Things will be like this for another forty minutes so… Why don't I lead you back home? Things are still a little dangerous out here since there are some more of those monsters that you encountered in the tower on the prowl."

She looked up at me uncertainly as she processed the information until she eventually nodded. "Thank you… You don't have to go so far though." I shook my head. "I want to. You're pretty special you know?"

"What do you mean?" Fuuka looked up at me with questioning eyes. "You knew where the monsters would be, and you would be able to avoid them right? That's what I mean."

"Do you know how I did that?" The teal-haired junior asked. "Mmhm. It's a special power called Persona. If you have one, you can help to protect yourself from those inky black monsters which are called Shadows."

"Oh… I see. Um… You don't know where my house is…" I nodded. Well, actually I do but I guess I'll just have to play along. "Just tell me the nearest landmark."

"The Iwatodai Strip Mall is the closest…" Ok. Seems about right. "Hold on tight." Her grip tightened around my fingered gloves, and I knew that she was secure. "What for?" Grin. "Well, we're going to be getting there pretty fast and I don't want you to get hurt or anything."

"Oh, ok." Making sure once more of the security I teleported to the Iwatodai mall, Fuuka in tow. Needless to say the expression on her face when we got there was priceless. "How did you…!?"

"I'm just… special…" I shook my head out of my thoughts. "Anyways… your house is close now right?" She nodded. "I'll keep you safe for a while longer… We've avoided a lot of those Shadows, but there's not much telling about what will happen. Lead the way." Tightening her grip on my hand once more, we were led back to Fuuka's house.

We stopped just outside her house. "Thank you… for keeping me safe again… Um… You said your name would probably scare me, but what is it anyway?" I tipped my cap so she couldn't see my eyes. "You can call me the Reaper."

"Why Reaper? Why do you have such a cold name for a kind-hearted person?" She asked as I turned my back. At this point, I have to wonder whether I'm doing this out of kindness or if I just want to implement her in my almost non-existent plan. Is it a mixture of both? "… That is what I am. Nothing to it. I'll see you later Fuuka. Just tell Makoto that the Reaper sent you. He'll know what you mean."

She nodded and I teleported back to the dorm.

_02/06/09 After School_

It was a regular day at school. The one thing that I needed to do was explain things to one Yamagishi Fuuka. She was approaching out of the school while I waited by the gates. "Um… excuse me… Do you know someone called Yuki Makoto?"

"That's me. And you're Fuuka?" She nodded. "Cool. But you can just call me Makoto. Calling me by my full name or surname makes feel kinda strange." She giggled as she thought about it. "Um… then you can just call me Fuuka… D-does the Reaper mean anything to you?"

I nodded. "Yup. Blue suit guy with the hat and bandages?" She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she wasn't duped. With the way the bullies have been going… yeah I'd want to be careful too. "Well… would you mind coming to the dorms near the Naganaki Shrine? What I'm going to explain will be better explained there. Want a ride?" Her eyes wandered over to the motorcycle that I was now standing near. "Um… ok."

I handed her the spare helmet while I clipped mine on and unchained my bike. We rode back to the dorm, and entered.

We sat ourselves down at the couch and I began to explain. "Last night… You were trapped in a tower called Tartarus. This tower is a place full of creatures called Shadows. You with me?" She nodded quickly. "Ok. Tartarus is a place that only appears during a time period in a split second between 11:59 and midnight. This is what we call the Dark Hour, and it occurs every night. Got that?"

The teal-haired girl nodded once more. "The Dark Hour is mostly unbeknownst to people because the common masses are sleeping within coffins. However, there are certain people who are aware of the Dark Hour as well. These are people with the potential."

Yay. It's the Dark Hour crash course. "People with the potential are sometimes capable of activating something called a Persona. Personae can be used to fight against the Shadows."

"Why do these people fight against the Shadows?" Whoops. Forgot to explain that. "Shadows are responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them. They are what cause the Apathy Syndrome to occur in people." Her calm visage turned to one of shock as I explained. "Ok. Now the people that live in this dorm are Persona users. They are people with the potential. I'm included. We Persona users are part of a special group called SEES, and we fight against the Shadows. What I'm saying is, and you don't have to accept…"

Fuuka tensed, waiting for the rest of my answer. "I'd like for you to join us."

Needless to say, she was surprised. For a while, she didn't seem like she could make anything of her answer before she looked up at me. "Like I said, you don't have to. What we do is pretty dangerous after all." She bit her lip as she thought about it once again. The question that was probably asking was: What do I have to lose?

After being bullied, having a pair of demanding parents or whatever else she goes through, would she have anything to lose?

"I'll help." I smiled at the teal-haired girl. "Thank you…" Minato came in from the front door and he stared at me for a few moments. "Hey. Who're you talking to senpai?" I scratched the back of my head. "Arisato Minato, Fuuka Yamagishi. Fuuka, this is Minato." I explained as bluntly as I could. "Oh senpai… Anyways, like he said I'm Minato. Douzou yoroshiku…"

"Oh um… yes… I hope we'll get along…" The bluenette nodded with a small smile and went up to his room while munching on a Picnic bar. Where the hell does he get so much chocolate? "Um… why do you both look so similar senpai?"

I rubbed the back of my head. "It's just another one of the mysteries about us. We may look similar, but our personalities are completely different. I wouldn't question it." She giggled at my response before asking some more questions.

"Well, ok slow down. I'm going to have to get the actual head of SEES to agree, though that shouldn't be too hard. As a Persona user, you'll be required to stay in the dorm. If we're all together then we can get out to missions quicker." She nodded at that. Like I remember her telling me some time ago, she didn't really like staying at home with all the pressure that her parents were putting on her. "Well… all that's left now is for Mitsuru to arrive in three… two… one."

The dormitory doors creaked open and a certain redhead came into view. "Hey Mitsuru-san."

"What are you doing here with Yamagishi-san?" She asked with a hint of concern. "She came because she has a Persona." One of her eyebrows rose with scepticism. "It's true. I did get her to join, and I was waiting for you to confirm whether she can join."

"I see. Well then, please follow me." As she brushed by me she whispered into my ear. "You have some explaining to do Yuki." I could only grin in response, and Fuuka soon stood up to follow the Kirijo heiress.

"Oh. Hey Junpei." I stood up to meet the capped teen. "Hey senpai. Wait, who's the new girl?" I slapped my forehead as he asked. "If you really want to know, her name's Yamagishi Fuuka. Potential new member." Junpei made a small wolf whistle. "She looks pretty cute senpai. Where'd you get her?"

I groaned once more. "She came up to me and asked. I wouldn't know how she knew about this but…" Junpei shrugged. "Hey, I'm not arguing on that. Hehe… maybe I could give her some… private lessons…" I drop of sweat slid down the side of my face. "Uhuh. Good luck with that when Mitsuru-san is right there."

He froze up at the mention of her name, made a crappy excuse and scuttled back to his room. Most likely to read… that. Yeah, you perv Junpei.

Yukari came in after Junpei, wondering why said teen was scampering off to his room in such a suspicious manner. "Hey Makoto-senpai. What's up with him?"

"Oh, a possible new member joined." One of her eyebrows rose slightly. "What's that got to do with it?" I rubbed the back of my head in mock shame. "She's a girl."

She nodded and 'ohhed' as that explanation pretty much solved everything. "I see. What's her name?"

"Yamagishi Fuuka. Heard of her right?" The brunette nodded. "The girl from 2-E huh… I thought she was really sickly and stuff. So why is she here?"

"She… wasn't sick. She was regarded as missing for a while. Man… how I would have loved to have seen the ice empress chew a certain Ekoda out about this…" Yukari giggled at that. "I know what you mean. He's so stuck up and…" I cut in as she tried to think of the right word. "Forgive me, but… a complete bastard?" She even giggled at that. "That seems right. Well, if she gets in then I guess we're all gonna get introduced to her later." I nodded.

The desperation that Mitsuru feels to gather new members will probably get Fuuka in no matter what. "So, have you been researching on that ghost story?"

My head snapped back around to face Yukari. "Sure. I know every single detail of it. But, we'll all tell each other about it in three days yeah?" Yukari nodded with added vigour. "Yeah. See ya senpai!" With that she ran up the stairs, probably to her room.

"Oh hey guys." Shinjiro and Akihiko came in shortly after the pink-obsessed brunette. "Hey Shinnen." My eyebrow rose a little. "Uh… what's that about?" The silver haired boxer chuckled. "Well, it was a nickname I came up with for you since you don't have one yet." Shinji scoffed. "Well I'm not going to call him that. I'm calling him Shinri." Faith and truth? Well… Makoto can mean that if you switch the characters around.

"I see… So then… Can I call Shinjiro Junsei and you Koushaku?" I joked. Akihiko had a small scowl on, but as he thought about it the scowl turned out to be a smile. Shinjiro was rubbing the back of his head, and he was thinking about it. "Pure for you and prince for you." I smirked.

"And you're sincerity and faith." Akihiko chuckled. "Hey… has anyone noticed that Mitsuru has been called a boy's name?" I asked.

The two boys thought about it until they both burst into chuckles. "I can't believe I didn't notice it before!" Akihiko exclaimed in-between barks of laughter. "Man, if Mitsuru heard that she would probably have your head man." Shinjiro said with a dark tone.

"Hey, I don't wanna be executed. That's why we are not to speak of that in her presence." I stated. "You and us both." Shinji remarked.

"So what about nicknames for Junpei, Yukari and Minato? We could also think of one for Mitsuru…" Aki and Shinji settled on the couch while I took up another sofa-like chair.

"Junpei… Well, I'm going with Kissui." Akihiko stated. Genuine huh? "For Yukari, I'll say Riki or Yuen." Shinjiro suggested. Strength and affinity. "I dunno I like both of them. I'd probably use them interchangeably at that point." I shrugged. "Minato… I would say Kaikou or Hei." Akihiko said with confidence. "I like Hei as his nickname. From now on, those names are what we're calling the kohai."

"Hell yeah!" Shinjiro cheered. "This is gonna be fun." Akihiko smirked. "Hey, what about Fuuka?" I asked.

"Shoufuu or Momiji. But those ones don't sound as cool." Akihiko whined. "What about Amai or Koubashii?" I suggested.

"Yeah… I like Amai." Shinjiro sat back in his chair, satisfied. "Mitsuru also needs one. But we'll only use that on in private." Akihiko remembered. "I'm calling her Kigen or Kisaki."

I nodded in agreement. "I would use those terms interchangeably like for Yukari." Welp… "Remember, that we have to call them that. Unless we're on missions or something." I reminded. "Yup." Akihiko agreed.

Well, that was fun. "Oh I just had this idea." The beanie wearing brunette and silver-haired boxer turned to me. "We should come up with a code name for Akihiko's fan girls." Said boxer paled as I mentioned them, and I chuckled in response with Shinjiro. "I'm calling them… Aoruokami. Don't like please suggest another."

Shinjiro only chuckled some more while Akihiko tried to resist imagining the girls as angry wolves chasing after him, who would rip him to shreds as the beasts only ran on their lust and animal instinct. Okami can mean god or wolf. Which one do you think I'm talking about?

_Evening_

That night, we were all being formally introduced to Fuuka. This was also the time when I glanced to my fellow conspirators and started using the alternate names for each of them. After Mitsuru revealed that Fuuka was joining, we started discussing things with each other and this is where the chaos started.

"So, Fuuka's Persona is a sensory-type Persona?" Yukari asked, trying to get clarification. "That's right Riki." Yukari turned to all three of us who sounded the coming of the storm all at the same time. "Yup. I'd say it's pretty simple Yuen." By this time she was already becoming confused. It's only getting started though.

"Huh?" Yukari just looked around frantically, looking for an answer while Junpei started laughing his ass off. "Hey you're involved in this too, Kissui." It was the capped teen's turn to be confused.

"Wait, what are we talking about… Makoto-san?" Minato too tried to make sense of the situation. "You'll have to find out for yourself Hei." Minato's eyes widened as he caught on to the joke, and he too joined in calling out everyone's new names. "Oh no, I see perfectly Shinri." I burst out into more laughter, clutching my sides. "Man you figured it out fast Hei. Ain't that right Koushaku? Junsei?" The two addressed seniors agreed.

Fuuka soon joined in, and it was only inevitable that she would be pulled into the maelstrom of words that was brewing. "Hehe… welcome to the team Amai!" Akihiko grinned. Sucked, right in. "I think Amai will be a great asset to our team, don't you think so Riki, Kissui?" Shinjiro teased further.

The brunette and capped one soon saw what was happening, though Yukari was less than impressed. At least Junpei was happy about it though. "Enough! EXECUTION!" Mitsuru yelled.

I quickly switched to Yurlungr.

* * *

AN: That at the end just came out on a whim, but I can't believe it all started because Makoto didn't have a nickname like Shinjiro or Akihiko yet. Look what it turned into, and FEAR IT! Well… you know.

Who likes (16) Minato's obsession with chocolate? Reminds me of Mello from Deathnote…

Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter. I wasn't very motivated by the time I got to the Fuuka section, but as you can see it worked out in the end. I had a blast with the last section, and I hope you guys like it too. And yes, those nicknames are staying for the rest of the year.

Plz review and no flames!


	15. Rising Against Fate

_02/06/09 Late Night_

Those poor saps. Guess it wouldn't have hurt to cast a Blue Barrier spell around everyone, but… Then I would have to miss out on those statues.

Minato, Yukari and Fuuka were the only ones who survived. Yukari and Fuuka were good because they weren't aimed at, and Minato was fine because he thought it a good idea to switch to a Jack Frost Persona that he had been keeping. Said girls left soon after.

After that little incident, Mitsuru tried to poke me with her rapier. But she soon realised after summoning her ice pike and shoving it against my throat that it wasn't going to work when it crumbled to pieces upon touching me. Thank you Omnipotent Orb.

After surviving the redhead's execution, I defrosted both Akihiko and Shinjiro with some Agi spells. Minato worked on melting the ice around Junpei since I was pre-occupied.

After the last of the pieces of absolute zero crumbled away, in Junpei's case soaked him to death, the students were finally released from the Kirijo heiress' execution.

"Hey, guys…" I patted the two friends as they collapsed to the floor taking in deep breaths. "Are you ok now? Besides the cold?" The silver-haired boxer nodded as he shivered, and Shinjiro had a happy smile on his mug as he fell to the floor. "I'll take those as a collective yes. How are you going Junpei?"

Once Junpei was released from the numbing clutches of ice, he immediately started shivering. It was too bad that Minato only had an Agilao up his sleeve. Perhaps if he was able to use an Agidyne the ice would have crumbled off instead of melted.

"U-u-u-u-uhh… I-I-I- I'll b-b-be o-o-o-ok… I-I-I t-t-th-th-think…" He stuttered out between cold strikes. A cold strike is like heat stroke, but they're opposites. At least, that's what I call the really intense shivers that you get when a sudden amount of cold hits you. That's where the name came from. "Sorry about that, but you had to admit, doing that was fun, Kissui-san." Junpei grinned.

"What did you do that for anyways?" Minato asked. "Ah well, Junsei, Koushaku and I were just coming up with nicknames for me, but then they went overboard and started to become co-conspirators for chaos. Unfortunately… they didn't have any Ice resistant Personae." I explained.

"Ah. I see how that would be a problem. Good thing I was still keeping Jack Frost around…" The Fusion Spell eh? It does suck though. Those horrible jokes of theirs… Damn. "Well, the least we can do is warm them up."

With that, we started casting some low powered Agi skills. It was just enough to keep them warm and weak enough so nothing would be burning down anytime soon. Junpei also cast a few spells of his own since he also needed to get dry. If I just cast a Ragnarok spell… Disaster town… happens.

After we finally managed to dry Junpei and warm Shinji and Aki up we carried them back to their rooms.

_08/06/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

"Hei. Do you feel anything peculiar in particular?" I began to train Minato to recognise SP signatures. While we won't ever be as good as Fuuka, it could be helpful sometimes and it was good for finding Shadows quickly. Or maybe if you wanted to avoid them, it would become useful.

"Y-yeah… Some Shadows are approaching the tower… there are two of them." I turned to Fuuka for confirmation. She too nodded. "So, what's the plan leader?" Minato… he has another chocolate bar. Oh Thanatos, it's a Milky Way!

**WHEE! I love Milky Ways!**

…Ok. Not the reaction I was going for, but… Anyways. "Fuuka-san, how's the power level?" She turned back to me, and her expression wasn't all that good. "Um… They're fairly powerful. Be on guard."

"Well, since they're both coming here and there's enough space to fight we can all gang up on them. Split up into two teams. First team: Me, Kissui and Shinri. Second team is the remainder, and Mitsuru can be in charge of that one.

Mitsuru seemed to agree, and her hand began to hover towards the hilt of her rapier. Aki in particular was grinning, while Shinji was obviously pretty psyched up as well. Junpei had his trademark grin on like always, and Yukari had a determined expression on.

As Minato finished the last of the chocolate bar and shoved the wrapper in his pocket, the Empress and Emperor Arcane Shadows burst through the walls of Tartarus to face us, letting dust and rubble erupt from their entrance. "Let's go."

Oh. And also, I taught Fuuka to summon her Persona without an Evoker. The others are still trying to grasp it, though Minato is improving.

The blue-haired leader only split us up because he knew he probably wouldn't be able to handle commanding two teams yet.

"Spread out." The cobalt haired leader commanded while munching on another chocolate bar. Freddos this time. When we were finally positioned, we started our attack. Minato and I charged towards the Empress with our swords ready. The weight of the blades was nothing and I easily began to slice through the spongy flesh of the plump Empress Shadow spilling Ichor everywhere.

Junpei settled to summoning his Persona to do additional damage, firing Kill Rushes at the same Shadow. Minato began his feral attack, swiping his sword everywhere to score many hits on the Empress. Once he started getting covered in Ichor his beast instincts were pulled out.

Like a voracious wolf, he began to tear at the Shadow's skin with no care to the staining black liquid that was splashing on him. In fact, I daresay that he might be enjoying this with the way he's grinning. "Die For Me!"

A Death Persona that I knew so well appeared out of blue mist as he summoned Alice. The blonde-haired and blue-wearing girl bowed as a myriad of red weapons that were covered with the stench of iron and blood mixed with several balls of Dark Energy shot towards the Empress, leaving it only a smouldering pile of Ichor.

Low growls were erupting from Minato's throat, and to say the least they weren't just like the ones where you just repeat 'rrr's all the time. They sounded all too much like a real beast's. "Hey, Minato. You ok?"

He snapped back to attention and nodded slowly. "Yeah… Hey, Junpei. Are you ok?" Said capped teen seemed to be very surprised by the viciousness that the blue-haired chocolate obsessed teen displayed. "Whoa…" I waved my hand in front of Junpei until he noticed what was happening.

At around that same time, the roar of the Emperor Shadow and the large thud that came after that clued me in to the full moon Shadow's attack. "Well. That was easy." I commented. "I thought that would have taken longer."

"Why are you so damn strong!?" Junpei muttered under his breath.

… I can't tell who he's referring to. "Why can't I be as strong as that chocolate eating obsessed…"Oh. I wouldn't know about this. Minato growled once more, bringing the team to attention. "Let's go…" The SEES members nodded, and followed him out of Tartarus.

_09/06/09 Evening_

Junpei was definitely looking a lot more irritable than usual. Every time he looked either Minato or me he would turn away and start mumbling things that I couldn't really hear. Until he finally snapped later today.

"Dammit Minato! What is making you so much stronger than me!?" Needless to say, the bluenette was surprised. And sad… Minato didn't say anything in response, not knowing what to say. The capped teen grabbed his collar. "Answer me!" The cobalt haired leader looked off to the side, trying to avoid his gaze.

"I… I don't know…" He whispered, but that only served to make Junpei even angrier. "Tch…" He finally released his hold on Minato. "…I'm… what am I doing?" the bluenette wondered as he held his head in his hands.

I wouldn't know what to answer either. I'm about as blind as you are. "And what about you!?" Junpei directed at me. There was only one reason I could think of that would explain why Junpei was so angry. Jealousy. Envy. But if that's true, why is he dumping his anger on me now?

The obvious reason; Because I look just like Minato. To be strong huh? "Why aren't you saying anything?" The capped teen scoffed. And if I told you? What would it change? Nothing. That's what. "Shut up Junpei."

Junpei was taken aback by my sudden show of aggression, and flinched at my tone of voice. "Why do you think we're strong?" I glared at him further. "I'm not strong. I'm weak as fuck. Get off my case."

"What are you holding back?" When did Mitsuru come into the conversation? I released a wave of killer intent, telling them to back off. Junpei was actually pushed back by the wave, and Mitsuru flinched from the strength of it. "I won't tell. Even if I did, you probably wouldn't believe me."

Minato looked sadly at me once more before making his way up to his room. "Let me ask. Do you honestly think I'm strong?" Mitsuru looked off, wondering what I was getting at. "How else could you kick that Shadow's butt without even breaking a sweat?" Junpei retorted. It wasn't a good reply though.

"I was only able to kill it because that Shadow is weak." When you've got gods to compare to, I'd definitely think they're weak. "That can't mean I'm strong." I'm only strong when I want to protect my friends. That begs the question now… Do I really think of this SEES as friends?

…I need some alone time. I stormed up to my room and did my routine until I collapsed on my bed, and shut my eyes in an attempt to get some sleep.

**_I see someone has some anger issues._**

A voice in my head I didn't really recognise rang out. All I could tell was that it was feminine. Who are you?

**_Well… maybe looking back on this, perhaps sending you here wasn't really the best decision. You are quite resilient in spirit… for a human. _**Oh. It's you Nyx. Why the hell are you only talking to me now?

**_Hm. I don't actually know. I only just realised that doing this was a bad idea. You're so defiant… I was thinking that perhaps you'd like to be sent back? You don't seem to like it here anyways._** I was sure my heart stopped for a minute. As much as I'd like to… well then what would happen if you sent me back now when Minato and I still haven't stopped the Fall? **_Why should that matter to you? You are already questioning your relationship between you and those other… humans…_**

Well then I can't do it. As much as I hate this situation right now, I wouldn't want to risk the end of the world in this timeline too. **_How disappointing. I think most others would have taken that route I suggested first, but you… You are truly an intriguing one. _**Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?

**_Yes… I suppose. Once at the end of your Journey, I will send you back then. _**Her presence wasn't disappearing from my mind. Is there still something you need to talk about? **_I was merely wondering about the bonds with you friends. That's all. Unfortunately, being a goddess, I do not have much experience with interacting with other human beings._**

Oh… I see. She's like a little kid inside. I'm keeping that thought to myself though. What about them? **_I wonder about the strength given to you by your friends. That Universe… Arcana…_** I almost completely forgot about that… Wow. I can see where I'm going wrong now. They believed in me. They gave me strength. That's all there is. **_So awfully blunt about this aren't you? I now would like to ask… I have a strange feeling about the eleventh level of your Social Links. I wonder if your Social Links only remained on the tenth level… Would you be as strong as you are now? _**

… I don't have an answer for that Nyx. **_I see. Well, I'll leave you to your devices. Good luck with stopping the Fall in this world then._** Alright then.

_10/06/09 After School_

Because of yesterday, both Mitsuru and Junpei were avoiding me like crazy. Not that I could blame them. The others were left to worry about why we were becoming so distant. …Until Mitsuru approached me later today while we were both alone in the dorms.

"Makoto-san…" The red head came from behind me, and I just realised. Am I really getting that tall? I'm beginning to reach Shinjiro's height, and that's saying something. Anyways, back to the topic. "What is it?" I asked as gently as possible.

She must have been surprised by my lack of hostility, but I couldn't tell whether she was relieved or even more horrified. It could go either way. "I just wanted to apologise for yesterday… It was out of line. It seems though…"

The sickly sweet smile that she only ever reserved for the moments before executions signalled to me what I thought she was about to do. "Junpei may need to be… disciplined. That outburst was unexpected, and a direct show of lack of respect to our field leader and you." Disciplined…? I had to try and resist my involuntary shudders that came about as a result of that implication.

"And I should say sorry for letting my emotions get the better of me." I smiled back. She nodded slowly and went off to do… whatever. I don't know, but it looked like she had something else to say so I called her out on that.

"Eep!"

'Eep?' That all famous sound when females are caught on thinking about guys? Now this I need to hear about. She started blushing profusely before running back to me. "Um… um… I'm confused." No doubt. Well I was kinda hopeful that she might be thinking about me, but I was having trouble going through this since I was already in love with Mitsuru from my past world. That and… just the fact that I'm from a different timeline might blow this whole thing into oblivion.

"I'm… honestly confused about my feelings for you." Thank god I'm not dense, but how was I right about that? I stayed silent for the rest of her explanation. "… Because of my background I can't simply pick anyone for me to…" She started blushing after that but I understood what she meant and nodded. "But… I… think… I may be in…"

She shook her head out of her thoughts, all the while still flushed, even more than before. "I… see…" I had a soft smile on, tinged with sadness. "I know what you mean." She looked up at me with shock. "I can't decide for you… but if you want… I'll at least think about it when you can also sort out your feelings." WHAT THE FUCK!? Why did I say that? YOU IDIOT!

She nodded slowly with a small smile and walked up a little more timid, but at least relaxed up the stairs. Minako was not kidding. You care way too much about this girl, you know that? Self-inflicted bumps on the head for the loss.

'I'd think about it'. It's like the half-way point before going back to purgatory and ascending to heaven. That is the meaning of those words. Is it possible to two-time the same person? I'm kinda wishing that Mitsuru also gave me a ring. DAMMIT! GODDAMMIT!

"Makoto-senpai? Why do you look so frustrated and overly irritated?" Minato asked. I gazed at him, my eye twitching from my stupidity. "Minato. You know how I told you that me and Mitsuru from my world were in a relationship?" He nodded slowly, not knowing where I was going with this. "Is it possible to two-time the person that you're in love with even when they are from alternate dimensions and they are the same people?"

His eyes widened, and it was uncharacteristic of him to say the least. "You lucky bastard." He grinned. "I wouldn't know since I've never done this in my life, and likely never will. But shouldn't you explain to her before this gets out of hand?" I should. I should goddamit! "Well… Good for you man. You got the charms at least. I wish I had better luck with Yukari-chan though…" I chuckled at this.

"Well, such is the way of our love lives." The bluenette only grinned further. "Got that right."

"Uhh… hi?" Junpei came in. I grinned to announce the news. "Junpei. I forgive you for yesterday. However, you might want to appease the ice empress so that she won't execute you like what happened a few days ago!" With that he paled and ran up the stairs to try and do so. It wasn't long before I heard the sound of cracks, tinkling and a sudden lack of Junpei's shouting voice. "Ouch." Minato shivered from the thought of Mitsuru's executions. I share your sentiments friend.

"Aren't we lucky that we're both Wild Cards?" Minato nodded vigorously at that. It seems he agrees. Our thoughts were cut off when a huge block of ice fell down from the top floor, to reveal a frozen Junpei with a look of pleading on his face. "Huh? Since when did we get an ice sculpture?" Yukari asked.

"Since Mitsuru." The cobalt haired leader answered bluntly. Yukari 'ohhed' in realisation, knowing that that explanation pretty much tied up loose ends everywhere. "I see. Oh my… Junpei!?" Yukari tried tapping on the ice, only to find that it was cold as hell, her hands were numb, and she wasn't going to try and break the thing open.

"Let me…" I drew Mukou and charged an especially controlled Agidyne to try and melt the ice. The ice cracked, to reveal the shivering for of the capped teen. Minato even began to channel some Agilao spells to warm up the room too. Why do I feel like I want to be caught in an ice block so that I can have a funny entrance upon breaking from the ice? Something like shouting out 'fresh' or something.

"So, are you ok Junpei?" I asked. Remembering that he couldn't really talk when he was shivering, he settled for nodding. I lifted him out of the ice and placed him near the heater. "Oh… thanks Makoto-senpai…" He managed to stutter out as he warmed up.

"What's with all the ice and water?" I heard a famliar voice call out. It was Akihiko. "Kissui got a second dose of the infamous execution." I answered dryly as I walked towards them. Everything that was about to come out of the two friends' mouths was halted, only to leave them imitating gold fishes. "How did he anger the empress a second time?" Shinjiro wondered, while still shivering.

"Well…" Yeah, I'm not telling. "Because of yesterday, and then she apologised to me, then she mentioned about _disciplining_ Junpei… That's it." Minato started trying to suppress snorts of laughter as I said 'that's it.' Damn you sometimes. "Oh. Ok." The two seniors both nodded and went up the stairs. Probably to their rooms.

"Remind me never to get caught in her blast range when she explodes huh?" Yukari said with a smile. She then walked off to the stairs.

"Oh, what happened to the floor?" It appears that all of the ice has melted now. Cool. "Oh, hi Fuuka. You see, Junpei got caught in another one of Mitsuru's executions." Her eyes widened. "Oh my. I see. I'll be going now." I nodded to her and she went up the stairs as well.

**_My my, you two-timer. I never would have imagined your time here to turn out like this. _**Whose fault was that? Deadpan alert! **_Mmhm… Well, this is exciting. And before you ask, yes I will likely be talking to you from now on. _**Ok. Just so long as you don't talk while we're doing any missions. **_Alright._**

"So… Would you care to tell me about your experiences with the ice queen later?" Minato asked. "Maybe." Haha… I dunno. I'm only telling about the dates and nothing else. Take that as you will. "Coolio. See ya."

Back to brooding about how much of an idiot I am. Damn that sounded emo. No offense to them, but I'd rather stay happy and… who am I kidding? I've been doing this kinda thing for about three-four years. I should be classified as emo already. Blegh. I'm going to bed.

_13/06/09 Dark Hour_

"Makoto-san. I would like for you to show me your skills with your swords." The duel imposed to me by the ice queen huh? Mitsuru was staying back since Hei decided not to take her this time. Well... I'm not going to be stupid enough to refuse the ice empress. Even though I don't really want you to see but…

I drew both crystal swords and entered a stance. Mitsuru did likewise, drawing her rapier. I nodded and she began to advance, stabbing her rapier into where I just was. Of course, I had that dodged, and began to go through the motion for 'The Maid and the Pocketwatch and the Battle for Everyone's Souls'. Within a few seconds both of my swords were trapping the redhead's neck between them.

I grinned. "How…?" I removed the swords from her neck flesh and gave her some space. "I've been training for a pretty long time." And developed my own style. Hell yeah. "So fast…" Akihiko was staring at the both of us, wondering how the heck I just defeated the ice empress. "I guess it just means you need to train some more, right?" I teased.

Why is she warming up? Oh. I got my answer as soon as I looked at her face. Her cheeks were tinged pink. I scratched the back of my head. Ne… dammit she looks too cute. That was as far as my thoughts went, and I'm pretty sure I'm not blushing in any way. Immunity!

Haha…

"Why are you blushing Mitsuru-senpai?" Minato asked in a low voice before looking at me with a small smirk. "Um… um… nevermind." She sheathed her rapier. A barely audible chuckle escaped from Akihiko as he saw her previously flaring cheeks. Laugh it up Aki.

_15/06/09 After School_

Due to my apparent achievement of getting Mitsuru to blush like that, Akihiko invited me to watch some of the spars that they were holding in the boxing club. I didn't expect it, but I thought it would be a good change for a bit. "Glad you could make it Shinri." I smiled. "You too Koushaku." I entered into the room, and everything went fine for a while before things started to get hairy.

It was mostly things like 'what's he doing here, he's not a member' shit. It just especially irked me when the unfortunate victim said that weakling shouldn't be here. Then I snapped and asked Akihiko to get me in the ring. He looked pretty worried, but he sighed knowing that he couldn't stop me once I got into something like this, and blew off my steam. Looks like someone's gonna get a rude awakening.

After I changed, everyone started avoiding me because of the especially blank expression that I was putting on, which was merely a façade to try and keep my anger contained and not known unlike a World Heritage Site or something.

Victim threw some practise jabs in an attempt to scare me while I merely stared back lifelessly at him, putting off his rhythm. Once the bell went off, he charged for me like the idiot he was and started throwing some straights at me. Obviously, they were all dodged effortlessly.

The last one however… I countered. The punch blew him back several metres until he finally stopped at the ropes. You're lucky I didn't use all my power Victim. If I did, you would probably die and then everyone would get the police and call for an arrest. I just knocked him out cold. This time.

The count wasn't even initiated, since they all pretty much figured Victim would be out for a while.

"Since when did you know boxing?" Akihiko whispered into my ear. "What would be the most obvious thing?"

"You trained?"

"I trained." Deadpan! "Ah. That still doesn't explain how you did that!"

"I trained." Deadpan multiplied by two!

The silver-haired boxer merely gave out a sigh as he obviously did not get the answer he wanted. That's because I trained with Akihiko back in my world. It was amazingly easy for me to improve because of my almost endless pool of stamina, but the techniques and fineries were still difficult to get down. Add in Tartarus and boom. Everything falls before my feet peasants! Ok I'm joking but, I hope you get it.

Once I changed back into my usual clothes, a horde of fangirls? I haven't seen one of them in a while. I was hoping never to see one after me again. My eyebrow twitched as I readied myself for a dash. No-one will catch me now.

"Hey Makoto-senpai. Why is there a pack of beasts behind you?" He doesn't even think that they're people. Well, I don't either. "You wanna get caught in that?" He shook his head no as he swallowed the last of his Crunchie bar. "Then, I suggest we get moving before they rip us both to shreds." He nodded, but he asked one last question as we were running. "Why are you telling me to run too?"

"Because you look almost exactly like me." He nodded, accepting the explanation.

We ran out of the school and all too quickly slapped on our helmets and clipped them before speeding off to the dorm.

"That… was too close." Minato panted out. "I suspect they may have been after me since I knocked that one guy unconscious. Turned out he was supposed to be one of the better boxers in the team. That and… I thought I saw them staring hungrily at my chest and abdominal areas."

"Ah." Minato looked me up and down, probably for any semblance of what I was implying. "You don't look like you have any because of that shirt of yours." I grinned. "Why do you think I wear it?" The bluenette nodded in understanding. "Same reason I now wear mine."

"Well done young patawan. It seems you're getting closer to my way of sarcastic thinking." The cobalt haired leader's eyebrow rose. "Is that a good thing?"

"Depends. It could land you in some tight places. Not often though." He nodded once more before entering the dorm with me.

_16/06/09 Evening_

I have to wonder where Yukari and Minato are going. They also looked pretty dressed up. I'm not dense. I know what's happening. I'd like to know where they are going for their date though. Eh, I probably shouldn't pry.

"Hello Mitsuru-san." The redhead peered over my shoulder at the book I was writing in. "What is this?" She asked.

"Just something to keep track of what I'm doing." And so I don't lose my sanity, I added in my mind. "I see. What would you need to do that for?" I grinned. "Because when there are awesome things to experience you don't wanna forget them." And it's also because I don't want to forget all the bad things that happen as well…

She nodded. "Have you taken the cameras out yet?" Mitsuru nodded once more. Well, that's nice. "Cool. Though… I have the sneaking suspicion that not all of the cameras in the dorm have been removed. If they were going to catch anything… well… private or embarrassing…"

The redhead started blushing as she saw the implications of what I was saying. That video that I stumbled on when I was asked to fix the consoles… it was of her talking about clothes and promptly going to change. I mean… and then… she threw the towel off… and … then… Must. Suppress. Nosebleed. But seriously, why is this happening? I should be used to this kinda thing now… And yeah I've seen her before but… It's the fact that she's a different Mitsuru isn't it?

"Are you alright Makoto-san?" She looked at me quizzically. "Your face is becoming quite red like mine, and you're covering your nose…" Oh damn. "Nothing!" I said all too quickly. I'm so lucky that there isn't anyone else here yet. And I don't sense their SP signatures to be coming for a while.

"Yuki. Please answer truthfully." Damn. She used my last name. And if I answer… She'll execute me. "But… If I answer, are you going to execute me?" I asked meekly. "No… why would I do that?" She said with a sweet and honey-like smile. My shoulders and spine were sent a very rude wake-up call as a cold shiver ran up. "Then let me tell you, and mind you, this is all an accident so please don't kill me." She nodded once more.

"You see, when I was told to go fix the consoles… I stumbled on this video of you… in your room… and then you… took off the towel you were wearing and…" Mitsuru's face was becoming considerably flushed, but I could not see any mix of anger in it. "Ah… I wasn't aware of this… And I thought what I saw was…" Wait, what?

"Mitsuru-san?"

"I admit I did not expect it but I too saw something similar… but it was you instead." She stammered out.

"…"

"…"

"How much did you see?" We both asked at the same time.

"…"

"…"

"Ah. We are never going to speak of this conversation in front of anyone here." Mitsuru nodded. "Yes. Now what were we just talking about?" She went along with my idea. But… considering we were already on the subject, none of the others were going to come in anytime soon and that we were both very interested now…

"Well…"

_17/06/09 After School_

After what Mitsuru and I talked about, I can't look at her without blushing, and neither can she. That and we had taken to calling each other by just our first names given our apparent new intimacy. Because of this, many of the students in our class appeared to be very suspicious of the two of us.

But it appears that she hasn't quite made up her mind about her decision yet, so I don't mind this too much. Besides… I think I missed this kind of closeness.

"Hey Makoto-senpai." Minato greeted.

"Hello." I greeted back.

The bluenette nodded, and went back up to his room to do… whatever.

_Late Night_

"Mitsuru… what did you call me for?" I asked, relaxing myself in the sofa that she somehow got into her room. "I… I know that you and I have been friends for a long time…" Those words were tugging on the edges of my heart, harder than even the harsh and sharp tugs that came as Alice became sad or angry. Even worried. I was hanging on the rest of her words now. "I just wanted to say 'thank you'. But, there was something else that kept nagging me for a while, and I think I figured out what it was."

My heart was pounding. Oh… just say it already…!

"I love you." Those words poured from her mouth in such a way that it felt like she had been practising for this. They rolled off perfectly. Her voice sleek and smooth like silk, but they carried that same nervousness that anyone would get when they admitted this to someone. How can I say no? I'll admit that I had been hiding the same secret as her for a long time now too. So I said the same. "I love you too… Mitsuru."

"Minato…" Her scarlet red eyes bored into my blue and I knew that there was one thing that that I absolutely had to do to make it official. I took her close with a smile and gently pushed my lips against hers. She realised what I was doing and relaxed, closing her eyes as our lips locked.

"My my… It seems my koushaku is good at this." Mitsuru teased. I grinned as we pulled back out. "What would you do if I wasn't, oujo-sama?" A knowing smile crossed her beautiful visage. "Then you'd just have to get good at it." I'm up for it. I grinned as we kissed once more.

But, it's just a dream...

My eyelids were still quite heavy as I realised that it was still night time, and that I should be getting more sleep. But I wouldn't be able to get some sleep after this. Not after that dream. I want her by my side so badly. That longing… It hurts too much.

I watched the milky moonlight pour in through the windows, and that was all I did for a while.

There isn't anyone else for me but Mitsuru. Yet knowing that this one Mitsuru isn't the same as the one from my world… I can't believe that girl. Even after all this time, without even knowing it… She managed to make me fall in love with her again for a second time. That girl… is amazing.

A smile creased my lips as I busily tried to find my way into Hypnos' clutches once more.

_18/06/09 After School_

"What do you mean you want me to tell a story? Can't you just tell one yourself?" The bluenette in front of me was clearly intent on getting me to do this from the furrowed brow and lack of smile that altogether, formed an especially determined expression. "Just one and we'll all stop bothering you."

There was not only that but Akihiko, Shinjiro, Junpei, Yukari and Fuuka wanted me to tell a story too. Why? I sighed as I closed up the book I was writing in. This was mostly because, aside from the equally persistent looks that the guys were giving me, the brunette and teal-haired girls were giving me puppy dog looks. Those damned looks are going to be the reasons for my future failures, I swear.

"Fine. What about?" The cobalt haired leader grinned. "What about your first date?" Why you sneaky bastard. I glared at him, but shook my head quickly after that. I'm not going to get out of this am I? Looking around, no. There were no crevices between the people that I could slip by easily to make my escape.

"I'm going to get you back for this, you know that right?" Minato merely shrugged and pulled out… how many chocolate bars does he keep in his pocket? It was a freaking Toblerone! Those things are huge!

"Ok… This was about three years ago." The smiles on everyone's faces widened as they found this out. Why? I dunno. I'm not bothered to read them all completely just to know about this. "The girl is went with was pretty much… the most beautiful things that I had ever laid eyes on. Don't laugh Junpei. It was pretty true, and you'd agree when you see her." Junpei's face brightened as he tried to imagine who it was. Yeah, you already know what she looks like though.

"It was a day after we both admitted to each other that we… what?" Akihiko and Shinjiro were snorting softly, while the two girls were giving them disapproving looks. "…loved each other…"

"So, for our first date… we honestly just went for a drive on my motorcycle around the city. And that may seem boring, but she was the kind of girl that liked the free feeling of riding. That and it gave me some side… benefits…" Yukari and Fuuka were blushing as they knew what I was talking about. Yukari knew especially because she was the first girl in the SEES to hold onto me like she did.

"Anyways… while were stopping off for a rest, we were both confronted by a bunch of thugs." Aren't I a magnet for attention? This was when everyone's faces turned serious. "It was pretty natural, seeing as how she was so beautiful they obviously wanted to try what I was thinking. Not that they were ever going to do that again."

The faces of the audience became quizzical as their brows furrowed, or looks of surprise crossed their faces. "What do you mean?" Yukari asked.

"Welp… I castrated two thirds of them while she too did the same to the remaining one." I explained as a soft smile crawled its way across my face. In an almost simultaneous reaction, the males in the room quickly covered themselves and grimaced. The girls were just shocked and imitating goldfish.

"Deciding that we had obviously spent too much time there, we went to the police station to direct them to the things. After that, we went to my place and watched anime together until the Dark Hour struck." Understanding looks came across the audience. Of course, if the Dark Hour did interrupt us in our anime watching session we would have to stop.

"We then saw that it was probably too dangerous for us if I wanted to take her back home, so she slept over at my place." That could be taken many ways. And what Junpei could be thinking about was admittedly… probably the closest. For once.

"That's it." I sighed, and picked up my book again. "What's the lucky lady's name?" Before I could even pick up my pen again, Akihiko interrupted me. "I'm not going to tell you that." I said with some huff that kind of reminded me of how okaa-san acted when she was irritated. Now that I think about it, I think I said that too quickly. "Whoa. No need to get defensive dude. Are you sure you don't wanna tell though?" Shinjiro asked, pretty calm.

"Yeah... It's a bit of a secret." That's a lot of reminiscing and pain in one day…

"What happened to her?" Fuuka asked timidly. "…She can't see me…"

Everyone, including Junpei flinched from this and they weren't even sure what it meant completely. "Come on… explain senpai…" Junpei insisted, almost begging. "…I was separated from her. I couldn't find her." It's so unnerving lying about Mitsuru like this. I wish I didn't have to. If this weren't so unbelievable, I would tell them all in a heartbeat. As it is, this isn't going to happen any time soon.

Though, this isn't all a lie. I was separated. The one who couldn't be found though… That was me. "How was she aware of the Dark Hour?"

I shook my head.

From that hurt and broken look I gave everyone, they knew that shouldn't try to pry. That was probably my cue to go back to my room.

"What are you doing here Mitsuru?" Again, I find Mitsuru in the strangest of places. Or is it convenient? I'm not sure. "I was listening to the story the others were persuading you to give." I nodded slowly, not knowing where she was going with this. "I'm noticing now. The looks that you give me when you speak to me sometimes… It was even more intense. What is it?"

I sighed. "I can't hide anything from you…" Mitsuru-hime. "And you're not going to let up on me until I tell you huh?" She gave me that knowing smile, and I knew I was right. "Then… can we go somewhere private?" Mitsuru obliged me and we… we're going to the third floor huh?

She quietly closed the door behind her as we entered, and she gestured for me to sit on the sofas with a quick movement of her scarlet eyes. "So… what is it?"

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't trust me after this but… we'll see." I breathed out slowly the breath I didn't even know I was holding and wove my story. "Let me get this out of the way quick. I'm from an alternate dimension." Her eyebrow rose. Yeah, I didn't think you'd believe on the first try either. "…I haven't even told you my name huh." I chuckled to myself.

"My name is Arisato Minato." That certainly caught her attention. "Is this true?" I nodded. "Orpheus." The black musician appeared next to me and knelt down. **"It seems you've finally come around… Minato." **I could only smile at Feo. "How?"

So elegant Mitsuru. "Because… of a being called Nyx. She sent me back here." Mitsuru furrowed her brow and folded her arms. "Who is Nyx?" I shook my head, and Orpehus disappeared, only leaving the blue mist of Persona summoning and glass behind. "Nyx is an extremely powerful goddess, who will bring about the end of the world. What we would call the Fall."

Her gaze narrowed and bored into my blue eyes. "The Fall… What…?" I chuckled a little more. "The Fall will be signalled by the Appriser, and once this happens… It will be near impossible to stop. And to think… It's all being brought about because we're killing the Shadows that come on the nights of the full moon."

She grabbed my collar. "Are you saying that we've been doing this for nothing but the end of the world!?"

"There isn't anything you can do, because if you don't kill the Shadows the city could very well be ravaged overnight." My body was hanging limply, and I was pretty much just hanging as Mitsuru as holding on to me. I wasn't making an effort to be released from her grip. Maybe that's why she's crying.

"No…" She released me and I fell back down into the sofa. "I still haven't told you the reason huh?" She looked up at me with reddening eyes. "Back in my world, there's someone exactly like you. In fact… she Just as beautiful as you, just as smart, and… I love her. She is you." I closed my eyes. "That's why I was so confused when you admitted that to me."

We sat in a silence for a while. We all knew that if our emotions could be turned into sound form, it would just be like sitting through the middle of a storm. It was a maelstrom of feelings that was just brewing all the while as we sat to sort through our feelings.

"But, for what it's worth… and I don't know whether this would mean anything to you now…" I stood up and headed for the door. "I'm glad you made me fall in love with you for a second time."

_19/06/09 Evening_

It was a pretty peaceful day, at least for me. Not many people from SEES wanted to talk to me since yesterday. Not that I minded too much. I myself was still trying to get my emotions in order too. Mitsuru especially. After I dumped all that information on her, I didn't expect her to.

_Late Night_

You see, it's these kinds of nights when I'm feeling angry or just sorry for myself that I go out and start a killing spree. No it wouldn't work, and I only ever realise that after blood was flecked all over my clothes and face. If I feel better later, then everything's fine and I don't go out again the following night. When I don't, then I go and rinse repeat.

Trying to resist that urge I was feeling again, my eyelids slid down, starting my search for Hypnos' grip.

**_You know, you're a special one. Out of all the seven billion humans that exist in your world… You are by far one of the strangest. Perhaps even one of the strongest. In fact, you must the strongest if you are able to wield the Universe Arcana. _**Not that I don't appreciate the comments Nyx, but why are you talking to me right now?

**_No broken warrior can stand against even the weakest of obstacles. Contrary to what you might believe, I myself do not wish for the Fall at all. If it were my choice I wouldn't have bothered. Yet selfish humans, for whatever reasons wish for this. _**Wait, wait, wait, where are you going with this? The night queen only chuckled in response.

**_The amassed collection of all human malice and death wishes creates a monster called Erebus. Once he touches me… that is when the Fall will occur. _**Is that right? Sounds like you're telling me this as a way to get me back onto my feet. **_Is it working?_**

Surprisingly… yes. Never thought I would be saying this… but thank you Nyx. **_Looks like my efforts have paid off… Well then, if you ever need a gentle push again, I'm here. _**Well thank you. **_It is nothing. _**This is probably the wrong way to go about this, but what would happen if all the people that held that human malice was gone? That's a kinda scary thought…

_20/06/09 Dark Hour_

If my emotions are adding to some abomination I don't know about, then I don't want to be a part of it. That's why I can't keep killing. But where will I start? As far as I know, Minato is going along with his Social Links. You know… now that I think about fighting evil and all that jazz, I wonder what would happen if…

"Why do you seem so chipper?" Akihiko asked. "Well, I just thought of the awesomest idea that I could share with Minato. It's freaking… one of the best ideas I've ever come up with." What is that crash from the Monad Block? "Hm…" Akihiko eyed me suspiciously. "What are you staring at that door for?"

"I thought I heard something…" I looked around again, and yeah. The sound was coming from behind the door that led into Monad. What is that power source anyways? There's something far too powerful coming from the depths. Fuuka doesn't seem to be reacting. I looked around again, and now Shinjiro is also interested in why I'm looking around. "What's up man?"

A ringing in my ears was echoing as the cacophony that was coming from that door grew ever louder. "Time never waits… It delivers us all to the same end." My head… **_Minato! What are you hearing? _**It sounds like a man's voice… and… Ugh… Shit. **_Minato! Damn. I have a feeling I know what's coming for him soon. And if he doesn't open that door and defeat it, there's no telling what will happen…_**

Oh, Thanatos my head… That sound is way too annoying… Can I go to sleep mum? **_Now I know you've gone crazy. Come on, what are you guys doing!? _**Who are you referring to? **I'm sorry, but because of that noise I can hardly concentrate as well! **That sounded like Messiah…

**Dude! I haven't felt this crazy since well… since I met my dad actually. No time for this! I can't concentrate either! **Um… who's your dad anyways? **Remember? Can't really concentrate!**

**That sound is lacking in melody I must admit… It is definitely distracting… **You and me both Feo.

"Hey, are you ok man?" Shinjiro asked. "Not really?" I asked with a grimace. "Now that I know for sure, you definitely looked out of it. Maybe you should get some rest or something." Akihiko suggested.

**_Minato. I think I know who that was. _**Really? Who? **_Do you remember how Tartarus was supposed to be a sealing place for the titans? _**Oh shit, really!? **_Yes really. _**It's never going to be my lucky day again. **_Unfortunately._**

* * *

AN: Whoa. I'm sorry that I couldn't come up with this chapter sooner, but I was getting some writer's block for some of this. That was a lot of feels for one chapter… Burning out… Dammit.

I'm kinda liking the Nyx idea right now, but tell me what you think of it. And, you saw what was coming, but I know that this isn't going to be like the God Arc that I put in. This is going to be… well actually I dunno. I would think I would like the events to be better than the God's Realm part, so hopefully this turns out good.

Plz review and no flames!


	16. New Things

_20/06/09 Dark Hour_

Smiling awkwardly as Akihiko and Shinjiro stare at me… Yup. Can I go into a self-induced fainting session? **_No. _**Sho cold Nyxie-chan… **_Nyxie…chan…? I think you've gone loopy since the soundwaves are destroying more of your brain cells. _**I hope not. I've already called myself an idiot. **_And… We're back to our usual program ladies and gentlemen to the viewing of making Minato go crazy by speaking drabbles in his head. _**That's your true intention!? Noooo!

**_You know I'm joking you moron. _**First idiot, now moron huh? "Maybe you should take a nap like he suggested." Shinjiro pointed to the silver-haired boxer. "Wake me up when Minato and company come back." Now, I have to curl up into a ball and fall over to my side. I don't care what this looks like.

**_Now, I think I know who said that to you earlier. _**Which one was it? **_I think it was Kronus, the titan of time. _**E-eh? Are you serious? What the heck would he want from me? **_I don't really know Minato, but… one thing is for sure. As soon as you think you can open up the Monad Block for your friends… You're going to be in for a fight. That's the only thing I can think of. _**Fighting… A titan… Considering that Zeus wasn't able to kill these guys and instead threw them into Tartarus… **_Yes. Those Titans are immortal. You can't kill them. _**But… I dunno. Are you sure I can't kill them?

**_… I'm honestly not sure Minato. I would find it highly unlikely for you to be able to kill them, but considering what power you wield and the possibilities open to you… I wouldn't say it's impossible. Not yet. _**Thanks for the vote of confidence there. **_That's what I'm here for. _** Say, I'm not one to look the gift horse in the mouth, but why are you becoming so helpful all of a sudden?

**_I wonder that myself. I have no idea as of yet. _**Well, let me just tell you that I appreciate it so far. **_Ok… And just so you know. Never. Call. Me. Nyxie-chan. Again. _**Fine. It was funny for a little while. **_ No it wasn't, you nimrod. _**Love you too. "Hey, dude. Wake up." Akihiko demanded as he shook me. "Best. Nap. Ever." I stood up and followed everyone out. "You are one weird guy…" Shinjiro commented.

"I aim to please." My mouth upturned into a smirk.

_23/06/09 Dark Hour_

Reaper time.

"Yo." Minato stopped dead in his tracks. "What are you doing here?" I chuckled at his defensiveness. Hell, I don't even know why he's acting like this. "I just came to give you something since you've gotten this far into Adamah. Here ya go." The cold black key that led into Monad floated out of my hand into his, spiralling gently in his palm.

"If you think you're ready for it, let me know huh?" The bluenette nodded slightly as he turned his attention to the small key. "…I wonder why Fuuka didn't warn us this time?" The cobalt haired leader mused.

I'm guessing that she doesn't deem me as dangerous since that incident. Yay! I'm not dangerous. Take that Mitzy! **_I think you're getting way too excited. In my opinion anyway. _**Gee, thanks. "What's he doing here?" Yukari asked cautiously. "Madam you wound me. I just came to give my friend something." She nodded as if she didn't believe me. The deadpan expression said it all.

"Don't believe me, ask the man himself." Yukari turned to Minato with a sceptic look. "He's not lying. Besides…" Minato turned to me with a slightly sardonic expression. "What reason would he have to lie to us anyway?" That… that struck a chord. "…Fine. Apparently I'm not appreciated here." I returned his look with a slightly pouty guise.

"Oh no! I think you're the kindest person Reaper-san!" Fuuka called out. Well… I wasn't expecting that outburst. "See, someone who finally shows respect to the great and honourable Reaper." The teal haired link giggled a little at my exaggeration. "Hey, hey. Let me set something down for you to think about." The team that consisted of Minato, Yukari, Akihiko and Shinjiro faced me.

"If I wasn't taking over for the original Reaper right now… You'd probably all be running for the hills right now. I is a helpful Reaper. The guy I took over for is not forgiving in the least." Minato shivered from the revelation. "Welp, now that I've given you that to chew on…" I smiled at the now fish-like team. "I bid you adieu."

Snap.

_25/06/09 After School_

"Um, I'm just wondering Minato…" The bluenette with my same name addressed me. "Why did you give me the key to the Monad Block?" I stopped my sword mid swing and hung a right. "Something has been bothering me about that place. While you were out on your exploration in Tartarus, I was hearing sounds from the block. I want to find out about it, but since you're the leader and everything…"

The cobalt haired leader seemed to understand, but he wasn't done with his questions. "Why do you want us with you as well?" I shook my head. "If I can't help it, then I may need help. There is something down there, and whatever… whoever it is… It is extremely strong. Even for me." Minato snickered. "What makes you think that we can deal with it if you can't?"

I gave him a blank expression. "…You mean you want to take my test sooner?" The bluenette froze in place. "Uh…um…fine." I smirked. "Thought so. At least when you help me, if it comes to that… You aren't going to be alone. Yeah?" Minato lightened up considerably after that explanation. "I guess so."

"Hm. Considering your power levels now, I think I can teach you about the next and last thing." Even if the cobalt haired leader didn't show his excitement, I could detect some twinges in his facial expressions that said so. I moved close and poked him in the chest for what was probably the last time. It was Messiah's SP this time. "You ready?"

I eased myself into a stance with my swords, and Minato did the same, breathing out as he began to circulate the powerful SP of the Judgement Persona. "Let's go."

The bluenette dashed towards me swinging both Cipher blades, all the while also charging up an Agidyne spell. Of course being me is the most awesome thing, so by only using slight movements I got out of the way of the arcs of the swords with a small amount of energy. This was all a set up for the dodging aspect of the style, and it wasn't long before I began to strike back. It was Minato's turn to dodge.

Weaving through the attacks I was telegraphing only seemed to be getting easier for the cobalt haired kohai, and gradually he began to get me back. The last slash that he tried to pull off was blocked so I could stop what he was doing for now.

"So. How did that go?" Minato grinned. "That was pretty cool." I nodded. "That was the last part. If you can do it without my Persona's help, then you can do whatever you want with the style after that."

"Cool." He replied, pulling out a chocolate bar. Oh damn, it's a Nougat Bar. Yummy… He must have caught my gaze, because he pulled out another chocolate bar from his pocket and threw it to me.

"I don't give out my chocolate bars to just anyone senpai." I chuckled as I uncovered the bar of sweetness. What just makes it even better is that it's one of those Kit Kat bars that are split up into three sections with caramel, nougat or some other kind of chocolate… "Well… Thanks Minato."

"Mmhm." I guess he can't really say anything if he has chocolate in his mouth.

Hmm… I'm wondering something now. If I hadn't already maxed out every Social Link that I have, what Arcana would he be? Probably Fool. Maybe Moon or Star. Ah who cares right now? I've got some chocolate to chomp.

Yay, more shattering!

_27/06/09 After School_

"Dude. Dude. Wake up Shinri…" I pried my eyes open to find the silver-haired boxer in front of my desk. "Huh, wha?" I rubbed my eyes and stretched as I got off the sofa. "Sorry… You need something?" I looked at him with a sleepy-eyed expression. It was true because… I think I need some more sleepy time so I can spend more time with the dream bunnies… and yeah. "What was that about Mitsuru?"

Eh? Mitsuru? "Yeah… You were talking about her in your sleep." Oh shit, really? "Was I?" Akihiko nodded. "I thought I also caught some words before that, but I couldn't really tell."

"Oh. Ok… Anything else?" Man, I need to get to my bed and take a nap. "Who is Minako?" You mean I wasn't dreaming about dream bunnies!? **_ That's what you're worried about? _**I'd rather dream about bunnies rather than January 31st any day. **_ I suppose… _**

"…She's one of my dream bunnies." The silver haired boxer glanced at me sceptically before shrugging. "If you say so." He doesn't believe me. But at least he'll never ask again.

"But seriously, who is Minako?" Dammit. I jinxed myself. **_You sure did. Quite smoothly too. _**Thanks Nyx. "She… is a really great friend of mine." That is partially true. **_Well done. Well done. _**Stop clapping. **_Fine. _**"I haven't seen her for a while though…" Very true. It's nothing compared to three years though… "Oh. Okay." Yeah! Diversion! Akihiko left.

In all honesty, I am still depressed by all this. I guess… that's just why I have to work harder to get back to her. **_Impressive… _**What is? **_The way you think is so refreshing. Most people would have given up by now. _**That can also be attributed to you, my night queen. **_…Two timer. _**Hey! **_You know I'm just joking. _**That's why I played along. **_Touché. _**

Oh right, Thanatos. **Yeah boss? **Who is your dad anyway? **I'm sorry to say, but it's actually Erebus. **Are you serious? **Y-yeah? **Now that's depressing. A side of me as the son of Erebus huh. **I guess it is. I never really liked the guy though. He's a bit of a bastard. **And the whole killing off everyone on earth thing didn't tell you earlier? **Oh. Right. **

**_Sometimes, I have to think you're a hopeless case Ryoji-kun. _**Thanatos growled in response to Nyx's chiding words. **Shut up. And don't call me that! **Why did she just call you Ryoji? **Urgh… it's just this other name that I have. For this world. **

You're telling me that Nyx is connected to pretty much every world? **_What gave you that idea? _**Well… in my world, Thanatos was the form of Alice. **_Ah, I remembered that. Let me put it this way. _**Go on…

**_Thanatos has a variety of different Personae as well. While he is an inseparable part of you, he still has his own qualities that make him different as a Persona. For example, I have seen that Messiah is a more honourable part of you with a penchant to protect everything he cares about, and Orpheus your connection to music and playing the strings of fate. Thanatos… while he is primarily a fighter and a bloodthirsty one, I might add. _**Said death god grunted in disapproval. **_He is also at times a charmer, and at others quite an emotional one. If Alice is his emotional part, then Ryoji is also the part of him that is caring and a ladies man. _**

**Ok, I can't really argue with that I suppose… **Death, you're a cool guy. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. **Thanks Minato. **Accurate findings Nyx-san. **_Of course. _**The night queen said with a small amount of contempt. Well in any case, thanks for explaining that. Both of you.

**No prob boss! **

**_Of course Minato._**

Now. Today, I was told by Minato that we were going to go to Monad. **_Good luck, Minato. _**I'm going to need it.

_Dark Hour_

Minato strode over to the large metal door that led into the dreaded block of Tartarus that was Monad, the deepest depths of the prison. Minato looked back at the team and me as if for confirmation, and everyone nodded. With renewed resolve, he turned back to oppressive door and slipped the key into the keyhole.

With several clicks and groaning of metal, the doors were finally opened and that same heavy feeling that you felt when you got close to Monad came rushing out. That insane amount of pressure was the new thing however, and there were several roars of anger echoing from within. "What is this power!? I've never felt anything this powerful before!" Fuuka exclaimed.

"No crap there Fuuka!" The bewildering amount of force emanating from the depths was even a lot for me to handle… Now I'm really not sure! This guy has about as much killing intent as you Nyx! **_I know! I can feel it too, and I'm not even existing right next to you! _**Damn…

With all cautiousness, Minato took his team and I into the halls of Monad to find the source of the killing intent. We didn't get far before his team was swamped by a bunch of Shadows. They weren't expecting the Shadows to be so strong, and were overwhelmed by them. Guess it's time for me. "Grydyne!" The Gravity force pushed all of the incoming Shadows against the wall, dissolving them into black and red mist.

"I guess before we can deal with that… whatever it is… we have to get even stronger." Minato stated as he got himself off the floor. "Kit Kat bars will help protect you." I shouted. Minato caught the meaning, but Yukari, Junpei and Shinjiro were caught out on this joke. "Yeah, I'm sure." Minato deadpanned. "Have you no faith in the power of Kit Kat bars?"

"No not at all. I still think Kit Kat bars will need help from Nougat Bars." I grinned back at him, and we both laughed as we saw the very confused reactions of the rest of the team. Kit Kat bars kinda became my code name, while Nougat Bars was Minato's. Silly I know, but no-one will ever know for sure who we're talking about since this is only between us two. And Nameless, but he doesn't count since he can't leave.

_07/07/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

It's this night. The night when I think Mitsuru got into my pants last time. Not that I'll ever admit that to this Mitsuru. Ever. I prepared myself as Minato, Yukari and Mitsuru entered the room that houses the Hierophant.

That damned fat ass. Sitting in the middle all regal and shit. "Discord…!" I muttered under my breath, barely with tune.

Yukari started off, raining down on the Hierophant Arcane with arrows and bolts of all sorts, some of which also had the wind enhancement on it. Those that pierced through left holes in the Shadow's flesh, pouring out Ichor everywhere on the circular bed it was sitting on. Mitsuru summoned Penthesilea, and bombarded several Bufudynes on the Shadow's head.

Minato summoned… what's the Kyuubi no Yoko doing here? I don't remember being able to summon the Bijuu from Naruto. Anyways… the nine tailed fox that the bluenette summoned whipped its tails around, causing shockwaves to hit the Hierophant and extreme amounts of heat in the form of a Heat Wave attack to nearly finish off the Shadow.

Yes! Nothing shall stop me from talking about Naruto ever again now that I have an excuse! Take that! "Kazuya!" The silver knight fired off a final Brave Blade and the Hierophant was done. Of course, it is only now that the interesting bit starts. Yukari checked the door, only to find that it wouldn't budge. That mirror… Minato was alerted to my intent gaze at the hazy mirror, and understood.

He smashed his fist into the mirror, and all that I could remember from that moment was a huge haze and blank.

When I finally came to, my mind was clouded and I couldn't think straight.

"Embrace your desires…"

It's the same voice from last time. Sneaky… bastard… Shadow…

"I am the voice of your inner self… enjoy the moment…"

Oh please, you're not one of my Personae you shit.

"That which cannot be felt is merely a dream… the present is all we have…"

Sure. Right. Yet we feel everything, and we rely on the past and what could happen in the future to guide our actions in the present.

"The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication…"

Didn't I just rebuke that earlier?

"Let your desire free you from your shackles… such is my wish."

You don't know what my desire is. Moron. And, isn't your wish to just pair us up aimlessly with a girl that I'm not going to be sure of?

"You stand before the doorway to bliss…"

I think I can make out a few sounds… like running water…

"You cannot deny your instincts… Embrace your desire."

My instincts are telling me that you're a load of shit. The presence in my mind was cut off, and I could think unclouded again. Yeah. That's water. Like a shower. And the voice that's humming softly… it's Yukari's. The squeaking of the knob that regulated the heat was turned off, and the sounds of the hitting water stopped.

I looked down at myself. No wonder I was feeling cold. I pulled back on my pants before Yukari found me, thankfully. I was still buttoning my shirt up when I heard the sound of the door creaking. I quickly turned myself around so that she couldn't see me, and I her. With a small yelp, she ran back into the bathroom which she was occupying earlier.

I chuckled as I heard the frantic rustling of clothes, and I had just pulled my blazer and clipped my gun holsters onto my belt. A slamming of a door signalled me to Yukari's arrival, and I knew from the killer intent she was emanating that she was not happy. "I didn't see anything." I stated bluntly.

"You better not have… senpai." Yukari threatened in a low voice. "I wouldn't stoop that low. Besides, I already have myself a girlfriend." I turned around to face her. I sighed as I deftly tied the ribbon that was holding my hair up into a ponytail like usual. "Wow… I never imagined how different you look with your hair down senpai."

I rubbed the back of my head. "Everyone says that when they see it for the first time. Come on. We should get going."

"Oh good, I can finally reach you!" Fuuka's concerned voice rang out through my head. "You two can hear me right?" I replied with, "Loud and clear." Yukari nodded. "I can hear you too."

"Ok then. Please meet everyone else on the second floor." I sighed as Yukari and I made our way out of the room and went to meet Mitsuru and Minato.

"Why do you look so stiff?" I asked Minato with a blank expression. "I don't really want to talk about it senpai…" The bluenette may have looked a little displeased, but I had to bet that it was far from the truth.

A twitchy smile was trying to inch its way across his face, and I can only bet what I think he saw. Lucky. Mitsuru was angry to say the least, and it was no surprise why. Considering what happened the last time… yeah.

The Shadow made my mind so hazy, that I think that we actually… enough about that. "What about you?" Minato asked back. "Well… Yukari probably wouldn't want me to tell." So, I'll tell you in private?

"Oh. Ok." Said brunette glared at me. "So… how are we going to going to get back into that room?" I asked Fuuka. "Um, I can feel a couple more presences of the Shadow scattered around the floor you're on…" Minato nodded. "Remember that mirror that I broke? Didn't you notice anything strange about it?" Mitsuru closed her eyes in thought. "I couldn't see my reflection in it." The bluenette snapped his fingers. I think I'm rubbing off on him too much…

"Maybe if we break the mirrors…" Yukari beamed. "Oh. I see! We better find them then."

This trip wasn't the most exciting, but we did encounter a few Shadows while we were on our way to the mirrors. Minato and I smashed both of the mirrors, and Fuuka soon announced that the barrier that was surrounding the door of the Hierophant was finally opened again.

We ran up to the floor with all haste, and I got to kick the doors open! Well… I knocked them off their hinges actually. Damned uncontrolled strength! The Lovers Arcane awaited us.

"I am going to execute you for your crimes you hear me!?" Mitsuru threatened with an icy tone. Chill Mitsuru… Get it? Chill? And she's the ice queen? **_Thank you Minato. I needed to know that. _**Aww… come on. **_No. _**Nevermind…

"You're going down!" Yukari shouted, and with that, the barrage commenced.

The brunette whipped up some winds in a Garudyne to rip and tear at the heart-shaped Shadow. While the winds tore through the spongy flesh of the Shadow, Mitsuru used a Bufudyne, and the shards of ice became entrapped in the grip of the zephyr blades, causing further damage to it.

Minato summoned… ok, the Eight tailed ox and unleashed a God's Hand attack on the Lovers Arcane, sending it spiralling to the other side of the room. I settled for performing a combo that cut through the heart and metal, splashing out some of the black liquid.

I jumped back to avoid getting hit by its Holy Arrow attack, but Minato and Yukari weren't so lucky. How did they even get hit by that? I looked around the room and understood. The bolts were pelted around the room, making it near impossible to dodge. It was almost like a classic battle field where swords, arrows and spears were stuck in the ground everywhere.

Um… Dis-charm, needed! Fuck, Minato and Yukari… The bluenette charged at me with no mercy, trying to hack at me with his blades. I dodged every single one, opting to block and push his attacks back after getting the upper hand. I glanced at Mitsuru who seemed to be having no trouble avoiding Yukari's Pierce attacks, but could not get a solid hit on her because she had to stay far away to avoid the long-distance attacks.

"Mitsuru! We currently don't have any Dis-charms!" I shouted to her as I pushed Minato's attack back. "What do you suggest we do!?" The redhead asked as she fought back the incoming arrows with swipes of her rapier. "There's one other solution I know for Charm… but you might not like it…"

Mitsuru grunted back, "At this point, we have no choice!" A volley of Holy Arrows from the Lovers Shadow descended upon the battle field, threatening to hit all of us. Minato and I were able to dodge the arrows effortlessly this time, though Yukari wasn't all that lucky. Mitsuru too jumped out of the way, unscathed.

"We have to make them kiss each other!" I warned as I was again parrying the bluenette's incoming attacks. "What!? As much as I don't like the plan…" Mitsuru grumbled. "How will we do it?" She asked once more, fighting back against the winds that Yukari was giving out. "We need to get them close to each other again! I'll push Minato back to your side." I stated.

"I'm waiting on you." The Kirijo heiress affirmed.

I delivered a kick to Minato's stomach, sending him sailing into Yukari, knocking the both of them over. "I didn't expect that so fast." Mitsuru said with a small smirk. I chuckled, and pressed the two's head against each other, their lips coming into contact.

"Did it work?" The redhead asked cautiously. Several small moans were heard from the brunette and bluenette, and as their eyes flickered open… "What the heck happened…?" Minato queried as he broke from Yukari's lip lock with him. "Oh." His eyes widened slightly as he zeroed in on Yukari's flushed face. "Ok."

Yukari stood up quickly, and it was safe to say… she was pretty mad. "Panta Rhei!" Torrents of vicious wind were shot at the Lovers Arcane, and it finally succumbed to the combined efforts of Mitsuru's Niflheim and Minato's Ragnarok attack, which were also mixed into the Wind spell.

"So… I think it's safe to say that we should be getting out of here." I suggested as the three came out of their fits of rage. Well, more like Yukari's and Mitsuru's fits of rage. Minato just seemed to join in the attack just to make sure they finished it for good. "Uh… right!" Yukari panicked and led Minato out of the room by his wrist. The bastard is enjoying that isn't he?

Mitsuru joined them, throwing a glance accompanied by a small smile in my direction. I regarded it with a nod, and walked back out to meet Fuuka and the others.

_12/07/09 After School_

Nyx…? **_Yes? _**I've been wondering something about Tartarus. **_ What about it? _**Isn't Tartarus… also supposed to be a god? A silence filled my mind. **_That is true… I myself am curious about this now that you have brought this up. Tartarus is a god. A Titan, like Erebus and myself. _**I wonder if the tower of Tartarus that exists in the dimension of the Dark Hour has its own consciousness…? **_What makes you say that? _**How else can you explain the fact that the labyrinth changes every time you enter it? **_You are one smart boy. Yes… I think I may have just figured out what happened to our dear friend, Tartarus… _**

What? **_The tower is Tartarus, itself. And the tower form that he takes could actually only be one of his forms. He has his own consciousness, and a human form which he can take like Thanatos and I._** Whoa. Things just got a whole lot more interesting… **_ What are you planning? _**It shall be a surprise. The master of Tartarus huh… **_Oh… I see what you are doing… impressive. _**This is the best thing ever.

There are things I am going to do at Tartarus tonight since everybody is studying for the exams… Many things… I'm going to enjoy this.

"Why do you look so tactical and cunning today Makoto-senpai?" I merely grinned up at the bluenette that addressed me. "I have just uncovered something very awesome. No-one else is to be privy to this information until after I confirm it." Minato nodded slightly, and went back up to his room, sucking out the caramel out from a Caramello Koala. How did he even get one here? Weird. Another mystery. Though, that is for another time.

_Dark Hour_

I teleported to the top of Tartarus like I said I would earlier. Looking around, there didn't seem to be anything out of the usual. For Tartarus and Dark Hour stuff anyways.

But, the air that was surrounding the summit wasn't normal. Normally the air around the top would be warm, muggy… it was a stifling kind of atmosphere, that no breeze would be able to cut through very easily. But this time, it was icy and cool. Maybe even fresh, but when the breathed in air was brought in through my throat, was dry and it felt like sand paper grating against my gullet.

**_"It seems to me that you've finally found the secret about me. And I thought it would've been so well hidden for a while." _**The deep and somewhat eerie voice cut through the silence. It wasn't one I recognised at all. Never in my life. **_"It seems that… in all the excitement, I have neglected to introduce myself. Regardless of the fact that you may already know my name…I shall do so; I am Tartarus." _**I scanned for the source of the voice, to find one man standing at the top with me.

He… It's like a guy version of Nyx! **_Excuse me? _**I mean in the sense that you're extremely beautiful mon amour, and he would probably be a chick magnet. **_Ah… I see. _**Nyx stuttered out. Don't tell you were that affected Nyx? **_Erm… As much as I appreciate the comment, I am a goddess that has already conceived a few… _**You know I'm just calling you that because I'm beginning to like you. **_E-eh!? _**What? **_Um… Never mind. _**If you say so.

The man's raven-black hair was slicked back, his butler-like attire all ebony, save for the white cravat that he wore. His skin was pale, almost like snow, and his eyes a soft red hue. "Cool. I'm Arisato Minato from another dimension, and resident Reaper." I grinned back at the man. I'm not going to get used to calling him Tartarus… am I?

**_"Yes. I have heard. So… what are you here for, Minato?" _**You know me well huh? "I just wanted to clear some things up about… considering that Charon said I was the 'Master of Tartarus' I'm not really sure what he means now." I explained.

**_"Charon eh? Well… alright. I'll tell you what he means." _**Teleporting chairs in three… two… one. Two plastic chairs formed on the summit, one just behind Tartarus and one just behind me. **_"Ah. Thank you." _**Tartarus said with a small amount of gratitude, and sat down on the newly summoned seat. **_"Now… I'll start." _**I sat down on the chair behind me, getting myself comfortable. **_"The Master of Tartarus is the name for whom that keeps the prisoners in check." _**

I nodded slowly. "So… It's kinda like a warden job?" Tartarus chuckled a little bit, and soon nodded. **_"Yes. Tartarus, this prison that is named after me… it keeps the worst of criminals locked away forever and in a state of eternal suffering. The Master makes sure that the prisoners won't escape. Even if Tartarus is the most powerful stronghold, remember who our prisoners are…" _**The Master of Tartarus… The warden. He makes sure the prisoners won't escape. And I can control some of the aspects of Tartarus to an extent. This could be useful.

**_"Hmm…" _**Huh? **_"I see that you have expressed a desire to kill those prisoners?"_** I stiffened up when I heard that. How the heck did he know about that? **_"No… I just find it fascinating. You can do whatever you want with them. You just have to make sure they don't get out. And to answer that question of yours…" _**The black-wearing man smiled. **_"This tower of Tartarus is an aspect of me. I can see what goes on in the labyrinth." _**

Everything? **_"Your adventures so far have been quite amusing. Oh my… trying to inflict Charm status on that of all things? That redhead of yours, while smart… Sometimes I have to think that she is quite dumb at times." _**MARIN. FREAKING. KARIN. "She does that sometimes. I don't know why." I punched the bridge of my nose in irritation.

**_"Oh…That capped friend of yours. 'When I hit someone, they'll get angry?' While the properties of that blade suggest so… the way he worded it…" _**What? I don't remember that… **_"These are memories from another Tartarus in a different dimension and time." _**So he can also see memories from other supposed Tartarus towers… Wait. Does that mean he saw…? **_"I never thought this would be the place to do something like this… but I'm just happy that this place is getting some attention." _**Nooo! He saw that. Note: Never do that here in Tartarus again. Ever. Stupidest idea ever. **_"Classic. Chidori while channelling a Zionga down his arm." _**Who, what? Tartarus looked up at me with a smile. **_"Now… There is one last thing I should explain." _**Now what could this be? **_"You have some reign over the labyrinth structure and control of the Shadow counts on a floor… correct? You can see the memories of this Tartarus and the Tartarus that you traversed before. You can also change the music that is playing. Did you know that?" _**

I buried my face in my hands at that point. "If I'd have known that, I would've done it a long time ago." The black-suited chucked. **_"Well, now you know. And did you know the tower could turn into a robot?" _**Are you serious? **_"I'm not joking. It was on a whim… but… It's one of the defence mechanisms for the tower." _**Freaking serious!?

**_"Well, have fun with that. For now I bid you… farewell." _**The Titan bowed, and disappeared as wisps of black ash on the wind.

"How does this thing turn into a robot!?" I shouted up at the sky. **_Why do I have a bad feeling about this? _**I don't know. But later… I'm going to have some fun with this. **_Oh no._**

_18/07/09 Evening_

You guys know me well enough, so you should know that I aced the exams again. Same with Minato. And Mitsuru. Shinji's finally gotten back his usual place of about fifth or sixth in the class along with Akihiko. Thankfully. Fuuka's especially smart so she aced the exams as well. Yukari did decent like always, and we don't talk about Junpei. Like always.

"Oh right senpai… We're going on a final Tartarus run tonight since we won't be back for a while." I nodded. "Cool. I've got some stuff to do today, so you can go without me." I grinned up at him, cluing him in to what I was going to be doing in reality. "Oh. Ok. Have fun then."

_Dark Hour_

Going through the first floors of Monad eh? Slipping on the gloves that I wore with my Reaper attire, I teleported to Tartarus. The summit. I tapped my shoes on the grey surface of the top, and thought about a song. Like… I think I'll go with 'Danger Zone'. That should get them hyped up. They're probably all wondering what happened to the creepier and foreboding music of Tartarus.

Hehe. I warped down to the bottom-most block that the team was exploring, and changed the structure of the labyrinth of the floor they were approaching to make it even more complicated. The next floor after that, I warped and simplified the maze, but increased the Shadow count threefold. Have fun with that!

_19/07/09 After School_

"Hey senpai. You know what is the combination of a Fool and another Fool?" I looked up at the bluenette. I could tell he was laying a threat on me, but I played along with a huge grin and replied with, "Whatever could it be?"

"A bruise." He punched me in the cheek, nearly making me double over. How in freaking Tartarus did he do that? Uhh… any ideas guys? **No… **

"I should've figured." I stared at him blankly, casting a silent Dia spell on my cheek. No way. It was because I was playing along. Idiot. Stop laughing Nyx. **_Fine, I'll stop. _**And who is that other voice? **_ That would be me, Tartarus. _**Now I've got two. Two Titans, talking in my head. Now I know I'm going to go crazy.

**_Come on, don't be like that. _**Nyx teased.

**_I would have thought this would be helpful. This wasn't the way I was expecting, Nyx-chan. _**Tartarus mused.

Wait, why do you get to call her Nyx-chan? **_He DOESN'T. _**Uhh… Sounds of pained yells from Tartarus wracked my head, and I knew it was time to stop listening to the two deities' drabbles. "Uh… I didn't punch you that hard… did I?"

"No… my… Personae are having a fight in my head." Technically true, even if Nyx and Tartarus aren't my Personae. "Oh. Ok. You totally deserved that by the way." I shrugged it off, with a small smile and went back to writing.

"Yeah. That was kinda shitty." I muttered under my breath. Stop. Freaking. Laughing.

**_Ok, ok. Say sorry Tartarus. _**Nyx urged.

With pained groans, he apologised. But not before making another snide comment. **_Women…_**

**_What did you say? _**The night queen said in a sickly sweet voice. **_Nothing. At all. _**He said all too quickly. I heard sounds of a sword being unsheathed. Really?

_20/07/09 Morning_

It was a great day. The sun was shining. The wind was blowing gentle breezes, carrying light sprays of brine on it which tickled the top of my nose as I lay down on the sun chair. All this peace to be interrupted by one voice. "YAKUSHIMA!"

Damn you Junpei. **_Someone need a hug? _**Nyx asked in a playful voice. Not really. When are you going to give me permission to call you that earlier nickname? It'll be fun to piss Tartarus off with. **_Sometime down the road. If you impress me even more with your antics. _**I'll do my best, mon amour. **_I'll only expect the best._**

I wonder why Tartarus didn't butt into that conversation. **_I'm still recovering… she almost cut off that in her rage… _**I could almost feel for you. Almost. **_Wanker. _**Sure Tartarus. Sure.

"Makoto-san." That I'll always recognise because she always says my name, and then goes on to talk to me after I respond. "Hello." I replied to Mitsuru. "What's up?"

"Well… I didn't get to thank you for saving the operation last time, so I came to thank you now." I nodded after sitting myself upright. "It's fine." The redhead nodded in return, but… why are her cheeks flushed? "It seems even after that warning you gave me, I still can't keep that affection from rising up again…"

I was surprised. Sure. But why am I smiling? Maybe it's just because I've been without Mitsuru for a long time… "Have you decided yet?" She nodded very slightly, and it was hard to catch. "I know that… you're already involved with someone else…" She said with a shaky voice. "And I know that this is something that I'm likely to regret later… but I think keeping myself away from you will do me worse."

I sighed. "'It is better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.'" Is this the third time I've fallen for her? This girl… "I'll probably only cause you pain in the end, but if you can live with that…" She nodded slowly. "Will you be my girl?"

Silence.

She flew into my chest, with a huge hug. This. Is. So. Out of character. "Of course." I felt we were about to lock ourselves, but… Akihiko and Shinjiro happened. "D-dude…" Akihiko backed away in fear, until he found himself running towards the front of the ship. Shinjiro started clapping.

"You have done the world of men some good, Shinri. Well done." I rolled my eyes at his somewhat sarcastic praise. "You guys spread any rumours when we get back to school, and this goes for pretty much anybody else who tries to spread rumours." I glared at him with a harsh and cold stare. "I will castrate all of you with a rusty knife." I said with a sickly sweet smile.

Shinjiro was sufficiently scared off, and he backed away to the front of the ship to cower in fear with Akihiko. "Now where were we?" I said back to Mitsuru as she looked up at me with curious eyes. "Is that what I'm like sometimes?" I chuckled. "You execute them when you threaten. I do something far worse and less often." I replied, stroking her silky red hair.

"I suppose." We finally were able to lock lips in a kiss after the two stooges interrupted us. Man… I almost forgot how good she was at this. Two can play at that game. She pulled back from the embrace, her cheeks flaring considerably. "It seems my koushaku is good at this…" She said with a tiny amount of pout. The same words that she said after Mitsuru and me first kissed.

"What if I wasn't?" I said back with a small into growl. "You'd just have to get good at it."

She reached around to the back of my head, and… she released the hold of the ribbon that held my blue hair in place. Well… I wasn't expecting that. "You look even wilder with that hair out…" She began to run her dainty fingers through my locks of hair. "Really? Sometimes I think having it out kinda makes me look like a girl."

She giggled at that. "I think you're exaggerating… Minato." The way her words pierced me was unlike any other. It could only compare to the times when Mitsuru and Minako called me out… "If you say so Mitsuru-hime."

She pulled me in for another kiss, and I complied with her request. Of course, it was always easy for me to close my own way into her embrace and I soon began to dominate the lip lock. I was sure we were at a standstill for hours, but reality soon came rushing back when Yukari and Minato's voices interrupted us.

"Smooth senpai. Just smooth." The bluenette gave me a thumbs up as we broke apart. Yukari was staring at the both of us stunned. And… she fell into Minato's arms when she fainted. "Hi, and what do you need?" I asked bluntly. "Haha, senpai. We were going to come out here for what appears to be the same reason as you… but I can see that you may need some privacy so…"

I looked up at the redhead with a questioning look, and she nodded. "It's alright. Let's go." She took me by the hand and lifted me off the chair, leading me to the front of the ship. I winked at the bluenette as we passed by, and he gave me another thumbs up.

We finally arrived at the island some minutes later, and we headed off the Kirijo vacation home. Once we entered, Junpei went on that same spiel about how rich Mitsuru was, and about it was a man's dream come true when he met the maids. I slapped myself on the head, only to realise that my Omnipotent Orb had kicked in and prevented any real pain. Minato did the same, except he could feel the pain.

And then the pirate man entered. "It's good to see you." Mitsuru greeted stiffly. She was tensing her hand a bit as she did so. This isn't the same kind of relationship between Mitsuru and Takeharu-san as in my world. It was considerably colder…

But… I could see him stiffen as he passed by me and Mitsuru. Well… considering how close we were standing next to each other… I wouldn't be surprised. Wait. I thought I saw a ghost of a smile pass over his stony visage… And did he just nod?

"Was that…" Fuuka began, and Yukari finished for her. "…Her father?" I see… so even if the way they interact is different, the way he cares for Mitsuru seems to be just the same. If not even stronger. "Dude, talk about scary. He's not going to make us walk the plank is he?" Junpei asked. Oh you poor fool. "Don't be stupid." Akihiko pinched the bridge of his nose. "Idiot…" Shinjiro muttered under his breath.

"We won't be here long, but make yourself at home." Mitsuru let go of my hand to address everyone as Takeharu left. "Sweet. This is gonna rock!" The capped teen cheered.

"Hey wanna go to the beach? It's right there!" Junpei asked. "Dude, this place rules! Come on, let's go!" Well… at least someone's enthusiastic. "What already?" Yukari complained. "I mean, sure… but let me get changed first!" Yukari succumbed to Junpei's rather appealing request. "Then, I'll see ya there!" Junpei turned to us with a grin. "I'm not gonna waste a single minute!"

Well, Minato, Akihiko, Shinjiro and Junpei went ahead of the girls and I. Mostly because, Mitsuru asked me to wait for her. She was the last of the girls to head out to the beach. Is she… nervous? Whatever for? I mean, dude. With a figure like hers, she should have full confidence. "What's up?"

She turned to me with a blush, and looked me up and down. "…Nothing. At. All…" Of course. Denial. "Are you sure?" Damn this forest is nice. It's nice and cool… peaceful. And there is a lot of green; white, blue, and reds dancing along some of the branches of the towering trees taking the form of flowers and fruits. Back to Mitsuru. "Well, if I had known that somebody had been… been… working out…"

Oh. Right. Abdominals as hard as rock. Hidden muscles and whatnot, that you'd never be able to see through my shirt. The closest you're going to get to seeing them is my arms. "…Right. Well… now I know some people are going to be jealous." She looked up at me sceptically. "What do you mean?"

We stepped out of the lush foliage into the soft sand and brightly shining sun. "Those stooges." I pointed to the group of guys, one of which was complimenting Fuuka on her wear. The others were either rolling their eyes, groaning, or pinching the bridges of their noses. "Oh come on, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." Junpei tried to reassure the now quivering figure of Fuuka, who was hidden behind Yukari.

Junpei chuckled, ad it was loud enough, and perverted enough to make Yukari lash out at him. "Stop that creepy laugh, you perv!" The remaining guys were again, ashamed. "And here's our final contestant…" Junpei announced.

Mitsuru came out first, and I followed behind her. "Hm? Is something wrong?" The redhead asked, not really knowing what was going on. Fuuka was put out of her stupor by the ice queen's appearance, and came out from behind Yukari to compliment her. "Wow. Mitsuru-senpai… You're beautiful."

"Yeah, your skin is flawless. Did you already put on sunscreen?" I walked up next to her, whistling nonchalantly. Mitsuru started blushing. "Yup." I answered with a smile as I went to join the guys, as the girls were already joining in their own conversation with the redhead. "Wait, how did she put it on so quickly?" Akihiko asked me. "Obvious. I put it on for her." I rolled my eyes as Shinjiro and Akihiko backed away.

"Are you serious!?" Meanwhile, Minato was smiling as he gave me a thumbs up in approval. Junpei… was grinning lecherously. "Would I lie about that? Of all things? I did just say that I would castrate you guys with a rusty, and let me add… bloody knife if you spread any rumours about this." I put on a sickly sweet smile that could be compared to the moments before Mitsuru gets ready for an execution. Most of the guys were paling as I threatened them, Minato… opting to finish off a chocolate bar.

"I won't spread any rumours, I swear!" Junpei cowered in fear. "Dude… He's like the guys' version of Mitsuru… but he's scarier…!" Shinjiro commented to Akihiko. I sighed as I went to the sun chair that was sitting under an umbrella. "Wait one last question." Akihiko ran up to me. "How did you get those?" I knew what he was referring to, putting a few things together.

"I've… had time to try and learn self-defence before when I was younger." I lay down on the towel next to the sun chair, and it appeared Akihiko was done with his questions. "So… who's your type?" Junpei asked Minato and Shinjiro. "Yukari." Minato smiled. "Thought so." He turned to Shinjiro and asked the same question. "Don't care." Junpei was officially broken.

Junpei tried to shrug off the disappointment from hearing that, and ran into the water. After Yukari and Fuuka had effectively ended their conversation with Mitsuru, they too ran into the water to join Junpei, who began to splash water on the unsuspecting girls.

Shinjiro and Minato apparently shared a common interest today. Making sandcastles. They worked together fairly well, Shinjiro gathering most of the wet sand, and Minato moulding it together to make a discernible structure. And it had a moat. Makes it that much more awesome.

"Minato…" Mitsuru came to join me under the umbrella I was occupying, sitting on another part of the beach towel, just next to me. "Mon cher Mitsuru…" I grinned up at her. She smiled a little at how I addressed her. "I don't know if you want to talk about this, so just tell me if you don't. What was the Mitsuru in your world like?"

I propped myself upright for the explanation.

"…She was… she is almost like you. In almost every way. Yet there are a few things that are different." I smiled, somewhat nostalgic. "It was funny. In 2009, back in my world… we were both school council presidents. The nicknames that the people gave us… It was like the princess and the prince, and other such titles." Mitsuru was trying to suppress some chuckles as she tried to imagine that.

"I had met her just a day after I had awakened to my potential. Let me tell you. First impression of her when I met her? Well, let's just say that I didn't like her very much." I chuckled. "As I met her more and more often, I dropped my dislike after I had realised what lay underneath her cold shell."

"She was cute, funny, and liked watching anime like every other normal girl. When she grew up, she became beautiful, keeping that same sense of humour, and liked spending time with others. That… and she had an extreme dislike for perverts, as did I." I described some more. "You remember what I told everyone about what happened on our first date?" Mitsuru nodded. "Yeah. That's all I have to explain about that."

"She seems like someone I would like. Though, that should be apparent as she is technically me." She smiled. "I won't compare her to you. Even if you are still Mitsuru, you're always going to be different to every other Mitsuru that I would meet in another timeline."

Damn. I almost forgot how good she was at kissing again.

* * *

AN: Sorry I took a bit longer on this one! But, you know. Coming up with great ideas takes great finesse and I think the addition of Tartarus just kinda burnt me out. I had no desire to deal with the filler bits of the extra days after I got to that point. Haha.

That and, patch up! Hope you like more of what (16)Minato has to offer, and how (17)Minato's way of thinking is turning around. And… ain't he a charmer? Getting too many girls in one chapter I say. One is enough. In all seriousness, I hope you like the new addition. I *don't* think it has been done before… Not in anything I've read. And there's still more coming… Laughs evilly!

Plz review and no flames!

(Also, thanks to Wolfarc Le Wolfie for letting me know that my work is loved, friendly friend!)


	17. To Hit Or Not To Hit

_20/07/09 Morning_

Back to where we left off… Mitsuru and I were kissing. Yeah.

"Whoa. Aggressive there, huh?" I grinned up at the redhead, whom I had once again dominated. She smiled, and lay back down on the towel, sweeping her hair to the side so that the locks didn't catch any grains of sand.

I too lay back down on the towel, opting to take a nap. I don't know whether that was my biggest mistake or the best thing… I can't tell.

"Onii-chan!" Minako's voice called from darkness. "Imoto? What are you doing there?" Oh shit…

"Minako…" Okaa-san… I glared at the thugs that towered over me. I didn't care how strong they were. They were throwing insults every which way, mostly at me and okaa-san. I shut their voices out. No-one hurts okaa-san and gets away with it!

"Shut up." One of the thugs retorted with, "What did you say you little brat!?" I opened my eyes back open. "I said, SHUT UP!" The gleam in my eyes was scaring them off. I could see it in the reflections of theirs. "Onii-chan!" Minako came rushing behind me, trying to pull me away.

I muttered under my breath, "Persona…" From cracks of mind shattering glass and a menacing roar, this Persona… Thanatos appeared. The killing intent he was leaking was enough to put the thugs shivering in their boots, making them stay in place stock still.

"…Get them." Without any delay, the death god charged towards them cleaving and slashing their guts and heads out and off. Even through the protests of Minako's screams I wasn't going to stop until every one of them was gone for good.

By the end, the alley was a blood splattered mess and I was covered head to toe in crimson liquid that splashed onto me as Thanatos tore through the filth. One last roar and he disappeared.

My mind, feeling blank from the sudden summoning of that death god whited out.

_Afternoon_

"Gah!" My clammy hands were clutching onto the towel I was lying on roughly. Sand was scattered throughout my hair, which at some point had come out of the ribbon bind that usually held it up. "Minato?" Mitsuru asked softly.

"That does it. In no way was that a good thing." I was still caught up in the nightmare, but once Mitsuru placed her hand on my shoulder I remembered what was happening. "Sorry… Did I wake you?" She shook her head, running her fingers through my blue hair again. "Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head this time. "I don't want to remember…" The way the memories hit me was akin to getting shot in the head with a gun. A real gun.

"Are you sure?" I nodded slightly. Mitsuru cuddled up to me as we lay back down on the beach towel. The warm embrace was keeping all negative thoughts away for those moments, and again we were running through each other's hair again. Then I remembered something.

Somewhat reluctant to leave Mitsuru's contact, I got up with a smile and heading towards a tree. It was the same one that I remembered climbing to get those flowers for Alice and Aigis. I plucked one of them off the tree, and climbed back down carefully so I wouldn't hurt myself. Even if I have the Omnipotent Orb, I wouldn't want anybody to worry about me.

I walked back to Mitsuru, and settled myself down next to her. "Where did you go?" I smiled as I placed one of my fingers against her lips and her eyes tried to trace down to where I put it. "Close your eyes." I gently revealed the white and blue flower from my back, and placed it just above Mitsuru's ear. "Do you have a mirror?"

She nodded, pointing to one of the beach bags' front pockets, her eyes still closed. "You can open them." I placed the mirror just in front of her face so that she could see her new reflection. "Minato…" She smiled at me as she pulled the mirror aside from my hand and put it back in the beach bag.

She flew into me, not just into a hug, but another heated kiss. Oh geez!

I swear if she wasn't still fighting me she would be smirking right now at how surprised I was. Dammit, I need some more… but… I'll have to try restraining myself from going any further at this point. We finally broke out of the lip lock, and honestly this time I wasn't sure who won out.

Meanwhile, Junpei, Akihiko and Shinjiro were staring at us in our compromising position. "Rusty, bloody chainsaw." I smiled at them, and they scampered off into the wood like little scared forest elves. 8-Bit Theatre is awesome. "So… we should probably be getting back. It's getting late." Mitsuru nodded as she lifted herself off me. I stood up just after that, dusting off the annoying grains of sand that had wormed their way into my hair even more. And I picked up my ribbon.

You know… I feel like I've been forgetting something, and it isn't because of the beach. Like… something farther away… I'll just have to deal with it later I suppose. **Master… I think I remember. Ken Amada. **

… He's a Persona user. I should worry about this because…? **Different timeline. **Oh yeah. Different timeline. This would change… Oh shit. I wasn't here when that incident happened. Judging by the state of Shinjiro's Persona before I fixed him up…

I resisted the urge to slap my forehead for my stupidity. And thanks Feo. **Of course. I was merely the one to dig the memory up. **Well, it's useful. You should help me more often. **After you get into her skirt. **Did you really just say that Orpheus?

**Hm? What do you mean? **Ok… Thanatos? **Come on! You know you wanna! **I… am not going to deny that, but… did you really have to influence Orpheus to do it? You could have just said it yourself. **I guess… but it was funnier. **Twisted sense of humour, you.

We walked back in silence, and there was no need for words to be exchanged for now. We just needed to hold each other's hand. Incidentally, we were both the last people to show up at the vacation home. "Uh, hi? Did we miss something?"

It felt like a graveyard. That feeling that you get when no-one really needs your appearance and they just really want to leave. "Dude. What's with your hair?" I slapped my forehead. "What about it?" The remaining guys besides Minato were looking back and forth between us two. "Spit it out."

I whispered to Mitsuru that she should probably get changed, and she nodded. Probably agrees. "Well… You look so… weird…" Uhuh. And I look like Steven from Strangled Red, of course. "That's what she said." I pointed to Yukari, and left satisfied as they pondered the joke that I just made. Yukari was uncomfortable with being called out like that though, if the raised eyebrow and twiddling thumbs were any indication.

When I was walking to my room, I passed Takeharu-san. And… he's smiling? He talked to Mitsuru didn't he? I wonder about what? Welp, time to shower and change because that's what you're supposed to do after spending a day out on the beach and getting sand in your hair.

Oh right. Isn't it supposed to be about the time when we showed the video to everyone? I wonder whether we've gotten the original yet. I hope so. It would be good to clear up a few things for Yukari. Knowing how much Minato actually cares for her is one big factor at least, I mused as I dried my hair. Yes, sand-free, everybody!

"Minato, can I come in?" Three taps on the wooden door alerted me to… Mitsuru's presence. Convenient sensing powers for the win. "Um, yeah. Just a minute!" I scrambled my white and black turtleneck on, and opened the door for the red-haired mistress. "What can I do for you mon cher?"

She giggled and replied with, "Can I come in?" I nodded as I moved out of the way of the door frame. I closed the door behind her, and she sat on the bed. "What's up?"

"Well… you see… my father was just talking to me about you." What could Takeharu-san ever want with little old me? I nodded as I sat next to her. "He said he was happy that I finally chose to do this… but… he warned you saying…" Insert long spiel about talking about cheating and not hurting her in any way. As if I would do that. As if I could do that. Intentionally. Never on my life. "Of course. I would never try." She gave me a knowing smile, and nodded. Why isn't she leaving?

…

Of course. She pressed her lips against mine, but I was prepared this time. Thankfully.

Hm. I haven't put my hair up yet. "I don't know." She wondered after pulling out of the kiss. "I think the long hair suits you." Really? I chuckled. "If you think so, mon amour." I kissed her lightly on the forehead before standing up and putting my hair back up.

"How did you get so good with your words?" She asked as she too stood up. "…Trade secret." I winked, and led her out. Well the reason is… A friend of mine told me about them. Intriguing guy really. Since when I saw him… I couldn't tell what his Arcanum was. At all. It really was strange.

Too bad we only met up a few times.

_Evening_

Um… Intense atmosphere much? Oh hi pirate man. What are you doing here? Stop laughing. **_Fine. _**What am I going to do with you Nyx? "I've definitely missed something here. What the hell?" Everyone looked up to my voice. "It's like royalty coming to meet the vassals…" I heard Shinjiro mutter. I grinned. "What did you say peasant?"

Minato was snorting, trying to hold some not very hidden chuckles in. Even if Yukari doesn't like Mitsuru that much, even she's gotta laugh at that too. Ok, enough joking around. Sit on the couch like normal people. "So… no-one answered my question?"

Takeharu began to explain. And I'm going to shorten this. He pretty much said, Ikutsuki was a liar and we shouldn't trust him. And we got the original video back. Yes! Ya-freaking-tta. Which we promptly watched. Even though I was secretly ignoring most of it until Eiichiro finally got to the part about Yukari. Even I had some troubles suppressing my emotions at that point.

That kind of parent that would do anything to keep their loved ones safe huh? Just like my okaa-san. The projector turned off and the lights turned back on. Everyone was considerably sobered by the information given, though Minato was the one that kept a blank face. I wonder if underneath that, he was actually boiling with rage and depressed.

I wouldn't be surprised if his trembling fists were any indication. His knuckles were becoming white. This couldn't possibly sadness. His shoulders were shuddering slightly too. Last straw. He wanted to kill something.

Yukari was a vastly different story. She was crying. I don't know whether it was from anguish or happiness. Anguish because they just found out that what they had been doing was setting the stage for the end of the world. Happiness because she found out that her father was actually doing all he could to prevent this. As good as I am at reading emotions, sometimes mixtures of actions that could mean the same thing could become confusing.

The others were in much the same state, but to a lesser degree. Same reactions all around. Clenched fists, trembling shoulders, set faces. Or even horrified ones with widened eyes and everything.

Am I the only one that is calm? I would find that kinda sad. Am I just that hardened from all this that I just can't care as much anymore? I breathed out a small sigh, trying to break my own tension. I think… I should break the others' too now.

"Guys. Do you remember the real reason why we started killing those Shadows?" Confused looks went around. "If we left them alone, the city would be destroyed too." Looks of realisation appeared on everybody's faces. "Do you still think our efforts are useless now?"

Minato nodded. "There's still a lot that we can do. Besides… I sure there'll be some way to prevent this from happening when this end of the world shenanigan comes around." If I'm any indication, yeah. Of course there is. I thought I saw a ghost of a smile pass Takeharu's visage… Impressed by our determination?

The bluenette threw a cool glance at me. The only question is whether we'll be able to prevent the Fall without going through another problem. Like me. **_Do you still blame me? _**I may not have fully forgiven you Nyx… but… I can't bring myself to hate you anymore.

**_… Thank you. I would do everything in my power to make it up to you. _**Can I call you that nickname then? Nyx's breath seemed to be caught, but she soon sighed. **_Of course. _**Thanks Nyxie-chan. **_On second thought… I guess it isn't so bad. If it is you calling me that. _**Well, I'm honoured, mon amour. Nyx laughed softly before her presence disappeared from my mind.

Take that, Tartarus. **_Damn it Minato! Do you absolutely have to rub that in now that you have that… privilege? _**Yes. **_My anger aside… I'm impressed you finally gained permission to call Nyx by that name. I've never seen anyone so familiar to her, even her own sons and daughters cannot compare to the relationship that you share with our very own night queen. _**

…Is that a compliment? Then… thanks I guess. **_Of course. _**Besides… she's just a normal girl inside. In the fact that… she doesn't seem to hold any god complex like I thought a majority of gods would. **_That just isn't in her nature, Minato. She wouldn't want to destroy the human worlds if she could help it. _**I know that now.

This end of the day was spent getting ready for bed, getting ready for tomorrow and playing table tennis. Imagine if every day was like this. All laid back, and you wouldn't have to think about the fate of the world that has just been pushed down onto your shoulders. **Isn't that all we want? **Yeah. That's all I want Messiah. Just return things back to normal, so I can go back and protect everyone again. **Even though you were the one who declined Nyx's earlier offer?**

Because they're my new friends. Messiah chuckled. **I can't argue with that. Well… try to get some semblance of sleep. Orpheus, Thanatos and I will do our best to fight back the nightmares. **Thanks… Just do your best ok? **Of course.**

"The wind feels so nice…" A breeze flew past, carrying the scent of cherry blossoms on it.

"I'll always be with you…" I'm feeling faint…

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you, dude."

"We'll all be together, right?

"Thank you for helping me, all this time."

"You're the best friend…"

"A guy could ask for."

"When he was gone, you were here. Thank you."

"Thank you… for showing me all those things.

"You're never going to leave."

I couldn't keep my consciousness, and the voices faded away. The world turned snow white…

_21/07/09 Morning_

What was that dream about? Granted, it wasn't straight up scary, but there was something about that dream that just… it makes me want to cry. I can't tell whether this dream was better than the blood-soaked ones that usually plagued my mind during the times when I would be wrapped in Hypnos' clutches. I was just so different from my other ones that I couldn't really tell.

It did give off the same feeling as this dream that I can't remember when I had. That same helplessness was there. When I was pushed to the ground and all that I could feel other than the cold surface and the power that was forcing me down was Minako's trembling but warm hand. It was that kind of dream again, but the futility was even greater. As if it was… inevitable.

In the very sense that the fact we live is inevitable, and the in the same fact that we die.

That got morbid very fast. **_You seem to have a knack for doing that. _**Maybe, Nyxie-chan. But I think that might be good for bringing some people down to earth very quickly. **_I suppose that too is a quality… _**

If you say so Nyx. Enough of introspection for now. I should get ready for the day. Hm. My stupid senses are tingling. **_What do you mean by that? _**I mean that someone I know is doing something very embarrassing. I know it. **_How did you develop that? _**Honestly? Black Frost makes sure of that for me. **That's right, hee ho! **Thank you. You can go back to sleep now. **Ok.**

**_Um… if you have these so called stupid senses… how come they're only activating now? _**Stupid perverted stuff. **_Ah. Makes sense. _**I guess I better go down to the beach. That's probably where all the guys are going to go later. The night queen's presence disappeared, and I knew that the conversation was over.

I went down to the kitchen to find… one lone Minato. "Morning senpai." He smiled slightly as I made my way down, still smoothing my turtleneck down. "Hey Minato." I made some hot chocolate before sitting near the bluenette. "So… how did you prevent the Fall anyways?"

I stared at his silver eyes, which were flashing dark blue. I wonder if his eyes change colour when he becomes more emotional. "You wanna know the honest truth?" The cobalt haired leader nodded. "If I had gone through with my plan, I could have killed the goddess Nyx… but she sent me back here in a last ditch effort to keep herself alive. She used a lot of her power to do that, so there wasn't any point in the Fall happening."

"Is that so…?" His head hung down. "If that didn't work either, I would've had to use this." I held up a card which I had kept in the Velvet Room for safekeeping. It wasn't any ordinary card though. "This is the Universe Arcana." He looked at the softly glowing card with interest. "Such a thing really exists?" I nodded. "If I used this to prevent the Fall… Well… It wasn't a chance I wanted to take."

"Was it that… kind of thing?" Oh right. Hot chocolate. "Well, I can't make any decisions for you. If you let me get in the way of your decision after what I just told you… I'm going to make you do that test earlier." Sip. The bluenette shivered and nodded quickly. "Hai, senpai!"

That. That was funny. "I'm just joking. Oh and you remember how I said no-one was going to be privy to this information until after I confirmed it?" The cobalt haired leader nodded after a few seconds. "Tartarus. Is. A. God." He stared at me. Ok, he has no idea what I'm talking about. "Ok fine. You see, I came up with this theory that Tartarus may have its own consciousness to be able to change the floor structure and Shadow count on a floor."

Minato nodded. He's in his listening mode, isn't he?

"So, after figuring that stuff out with the help of a friend of mine… I went to Tartarus to see if it was true and to clear up a few things." Nod. "Turns out, the tower is an aspect of the deity Tartarus. It just has the same name." Nod. "Lastly, do you know what one of the purposes for Tartarus is?" Shake. "Apparently it's to keep some people inside it. Like… other gods?" I smirked at the now absorbed Minato.

"Is that what it's for?" He nodded. "I remember reading something about that. But if that is what Tartarus is really for… how come according to the information given to us by the Kirijo group, it was 'created?'" Good question. Theory time.

"I'm thinking that maybe Tartarus and the Dark Hour is actually a separate dimension that comes in contact with our world during midnight here. Not as a phenomenon that was created by those experiments." Why am I using big words all of a sudden? "As far as I know about Tartarus and the tower, it seems to have been around for quite a long time. I believe that the experiments that occurred in each timeline were only the triggers for the dimension of the Dark Hour to come into contact with our worlds, and 'create' the Dark Hour."

If he had been drinking something, he probably would have had a spit take. "Are you serious?" I shrugged. "Well, don't expect me to have any Dark Hour origin stories the minute I wake up. I don't know if that's true."

My hot chocolate's gone… "That seems pretty plausible… concerning Dark Hour stuff anyways." Of course. Anything can seem plausible when you have the Dark Hour. Even TVs with alternate worlds inside them seem a likely story.

"So, wanna go back to the beach?" Minato nodded, putting the plate that was sitting in front of him in the sink. I put my mug in the sink as well, shrugging. We'll clean that later. "Let's go."

We had walked down to the beach, at a fairly brisk pace. It was still pretty early, and the sun was only a few inches above the curtain of ink blue that was the ocean. Still pretty warm though. It was a few minutes of talking and looking around for me to realise there was something that I think I may have been neglecting. I wonder if she's still on that pier.

While we two talked, we were also inching ever closer to the elusive blonde-haired mechanical maiden. "Whoa…" I grinned at him. "Mmhm. You do realise this was the reason I was leading you this way?" He stared at me disbelievingly for a moment. "You want me to meet her?" I nodded as I gestured to the white maiden with a smile. "I think you'll find her rather interesting."

With a risen eyebrow, Minato walked cautiously up the pier to stand just behind the sundress-wearing robot. "Um… excuse me?" He tapped Aigis on the shoulder, and she quickly turned around to face him. "...!" Aigis was surprised by Minato's appearance, and her hand hovered over her mouth in an attempt to hide the gasp that she let out when she saw him.

"My highest priority…" She flew into him for a hug, and finished the rest of her words. "…Is to be with you!" The bluenette turned his head slightly to face me, and it was safe to say he was in a state of distress. I could only suppress chuckles as the Anti-Shadow Weapon continued to hang onto him from her supposed glomp.

He mouthed to me, 'Get her off me!' No. I winked at him, and he started to fume. "Um… you didn't give me your name." The maiden loosened her grip on the bluenette, and introduced herself with a smile. "My name is Aigis, the 7th Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon."

"…My name's Arisato Minato." Aigis nodded. "Noted. Who is that behind you?" Minato gave me a look which said, 'Oh, so now you come.' I waved it off, and stood just behind the bluenette. "How can this be…?" Her breath was momentarily caught in her throat. "Yo."

She backed away from me a little. "…Arisato Minato." Now she was shocked. "How is this possible?" She looked back and forth between us, not really sure what was happening. "This is getting awkward. Have fun." I waved to the two of them, leaving a confused Aigis and an unimpressed Minato.

Akihiko, Shinjiro and Junpei came sometime after I had introduced the two, and it was safe to say that they were hitting it off pretty well. I just hope he remembered to tell Aigis to call me Makoto. I'll ask him whether he did that later.

"Uh… what are you guys doing?" I asked as I walked over to the group of guys. "Aww man, we're in an island resort in the middle of summer! Why don't they go to the beach? That's just not right." Junpei complained. Ah right, the girls left to see the big… tree. Whatever. "Well it is your fault." Akihiko reminded. "Yeah, you know. I don't really care. I'm going to make some sandcastles and stuff." Shinjiro went to the sandcastle that he and Minato were building up yesterday, and began to shape some more of the castle.

"Whaddaya mean? I just wanted to lighten up the mood!" Junpei tried to defend himself from Akihiko's accusation. Of course, the silver-haired boxer wasn't having that. "I don't wanna hear it." The capped teen sighed in resignation. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway. We're on our own now, just the guys." You're including me? "Sorry to burst your bubble, but Minato's already hitting it off with a new friend that he met."

"WHAT!?" Junpei exclaimed, nearly falling back. Akihiko stared at me in disbelief. "Yeah. She pretty much glomped him when she first saw him." I smiled smugly. "Aww man! Pimp gets all the attention…" The capped teen whined. "If it makes you feel any better, she's a robot."

"How's that supposed to make me feel better?" He stared at me blankly. "She's. A. Robot. What makes you think he's going to be able to get with her? Besides, he already has a girlfriend…" I rubbed the back of my head. "Ahh whatever now. We're talking about us in particular." Like the fact that none of you guys, even the popular one has a girlfriend? "When you're outta ammo, you pick it up on the battlefield! That's one of the most basic military tactics!" Junpei proclaimed proudly.

"We'll call this… Operation Babe Hunt!" The capped teen shouted excitedly. "'Babe Hunt?' You mean like, pick up girls?" Akihiko asked. "Whaddaya think Akihiko-san? With you on the squad we're guaranteed to succeed!" The silver-haired boxer was clearly hesitant about the situation, and wasn't sure how to act.

Well… I could be nice and save the both of them from a load of embarrassment… or… Oh. Oh. Oh. Best. Idea. Ever. "Go for it if you want. I'm not going to stop you guys." I shrugged. "Ok then. Who's going to be the leader?" I held my hands up, washing myself clean of this suggestion.

I walked over to Shinjiro. Huh. That castle looks a lot like Tartarus… "Hey. Shinji." I tapped him on the shoulder lightly. "Huh? What's up?" I grinned evilly and thumbed the two who were arguing about who was going to be the leader. "Look. I just had this idea, and I need you to do this with me." His set face turned to one of shock. "What for?"

"It's called Operation Sabotage Kissui and Koushaku." I whispered.

"What's in it for me?" He grinned as he stood up, dusting off the sand on his hands away. "Enough money for ramen for a month." His eyes lit up at this. "You're on."

"Ok, you see… Junpei and Akihiko are planning to go hit on girls and all of those shenanigans. I want to try and make it so that they will never get any of the girls to agree to their hitting on at all." I grinned. "Oh… I see. You can be a real bastard when you want to, you know that right?" Shinjiro had the same wolf-like grin as me. "I aim to please. Now, let's go and warn them while they're still arguing."

He nodded, and dropped his bucket and headed off with me. First targets acquired. "Hey ladies." The three women were each dressed in green, red and yellow bikinis. They looked pretty decent. "What do you want?" The girl in green asked with a hostile tone. I smiled at Shinjiro. Your move. "Nothing much. You see, we just wanted to warn you about something."

"What? If it's nothing, don't waste our time." I nodded. "We'd never do that. You see…" I glanced over to Shinji again. "We wanted to warn you three about these two guys that may be coming to hit on you girls…" The girl in red snickered. "Wow. That's the lamest thing ever."

I smiled in agreement. "Yeah. That's what we were thinking. So that's why we wanted to tell you girls about them before they got too close for your comfort." Shinjiro nodded. "Well, now that we have warned you of the coming apocalypse…" I glanced at each of the girls. "We bid you three adieus. And to note, please don't tell them that we told you."

The three giggled a little and thanked us sending us on our way. "So, how did that go?" I asked Shinji as we headed to the next group of girls. "That went pretty well. And I think we might've even earned some of their respect." I nodded. "Yeah. Task one accomplished. Task two is coming right up."

We ran to two girls. One was in black, the other in red. "Hey girls." The two girls watched as we approached. "What are you guys doing? Are you hitting on girls or something?" I scoffed. "No, we would never sink to that low of a sport. Besides…" I shot a look at Shinjiro with a smile. "Even if we were, I think we might've made a move by now."

The woman in black chuckled. "Haha! You two are bold. So what do you want?" I folded my arms. "You see, there are a couple of stooges heading around the beach trying to hit on girls. One of them has silver hair, and the other is wearing a cap." The two girls looked to each other.

"We just wanted to save you two the trouble of them hitting on you." I grinned. "Besides… one of you girls is already engaged yeah?" The woman in red looked to me in shock. "How did you know?"

"Same reason that I know." Shinjiro gave me a look that told me to explain to him about that later. "Welp, if you would excuse us…" Shinjiro bowed slightly. "Ja ne." I waved to them. "Wait, how old are you guys anyway?" I would technically be eighteen considering time flow and everything but… "I'm seventeen…" Shinjiro looked back at me and then at the girls. "Same here."

"Wow. I wouldn't have thought guys your age would use your smooth talking for the anti-hitting brigade." The girl in red laughed. "Saving women from unworthy men everywhere. It is our duty." I grinned at Shinji. "Well, see you girls later. And please… don't tell them that we told you." He ended the conversation with a small smile. "Bye boys!"

"Don't worry, I'll explain that later." Shinjiro nodded as we approached… "Wai, wai, wait." I backed off as I saw the… woman(?) in pink. "I think I've seen her before… She's a transsexual!" Shinjiro backed off considerably and held up his hands in front of him in a cross formation. "Uh uh. No." I nodded. "Besides… won't it be funnier if they actually got duped by him…or her?"

"Oh yeah…" We looked around the beach for any more people to warn, but it seemed that everything was clear. "We should head back and see if they've decided yet." Shinjiro nodded. "Wanna go watch them fail?" I nodded. "That's why we did this, right?"

"Let's watch them from a distance." Shinji nodded. "Good idea."

We ran to meet the couple of stooges, and Akihiko had a decidedly disappointed face. Junpei's the leader huh? "Where have you two been?" I shrugged, and Shinjiro went back to inspect his castle that looked way too much like Tartarus.

Once they left, we scuttled to the foliage to hide ourselves. Now, on with the show. "Ooh, we found some senioritas! Let's go hit on them!" So blunt Junpei. "Wow, you were right. This is going to be entertaining. Two weeks of ramen instead." I fist bumped him, and turned back to the show.

"Beep…Beep…BEEP! Target confirmed." Junpei announced. "Let's move in for the kill!" He beckoned Akihiko closer. "This is my area of expertise, so listen up." Akihiko turned to him with a slightly furrowed brow. "First off, think of something to talk about—something they might be interested in." Akihiko took the shit of the inexperienced one in. We both snickered at this.

"Yeah right. It never works." I tried to suppress my chuckles. "I remember, I think one of my friends was being hit on by this guy… the first thing he said to her…" Well, it was actually my sister, but he doesn't need to know that. Shinjiro grinned. "What?" I tried to smother my laughter. "Hey, I'm not a rapist or anything, but…" Shinjiro fell over. "Well… I still think that guy had a better chance of getting her than these stooges."

"That's just sad." Shinjiro commented, as he stood back up and listened in to the conversation that they were leading to the girls. "Hey ladies!" Same line that I used, but too enthusiastic. "How're you doing?" Akihiko asked. The girl in green scoffed. "Oh geez. They weren't lying." You doubted us good madams? "Wha…?" Junpei turned to Aki. The silver-haired boxer shrugged. "Can you guys… like… go away? We're trying to have some peace and quiet."

Shot and shut down. I hi-fived Shinji. "Rejected." We grinned to each other. We chased after the two bickering guys through the lush greenery until they reached the red and black wearing women. "Men, we've located a new target!" Junpei fan fared. Akihiko was stuck stiff as he looked at the two girls.

"What are you waiting for Akihiko-san? Show me how it's done!" The silver-haired boxer shook his head and gritted his teeth. "Just keep your mouth shut." Looking over to the girls… They both have smiles on. Why? "Hey Nobuko, are they staring at us?"

Ohh… they're actually going to play along. That's actually kinda mean, but this is what we did this for. "Yeah. I think so. Wow, Yoshie. You can see from here?" Um ok, they mentioned their names and I shall refer to them as such.

Nobuko struck a seductive pose at the two boys, and waited for them to come closer. "That's my cue." Aki whispered to Junpei.

"H-hi. Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask you something." That wasn't so bad. It's like the approach that we two used to get their attention before warning them. This way you don't come off as creepy. "Yes?" Yoshie asked. "Um, are you here alone?" Akihiko asked shyly.

"You guys're hitting on us, aren't you?" Nobuko said playfully. "N-no… not at all…" Akihiko shook his head. "We just thought if you're bored, you might wanna talk." The silver-haired boxer suggested. Great lead… "We could get to know each other better." Yoshie laughed. "That's what it means to hit on someone."

Hi-five. Shinji and I turned back to the scene. The black-wearing girl breathed out. "Don't you know? It's so lame to hit on girls at the beach." The girl in red sighed. "Come on, we were bored anyways." She turned back to the guys. "Hey, you guys are kinda cute."

"Nobuko…" Yoshie sighed. "Hey, how old do you think we are?" Akihiko thought for a bit. "Around twenty?" The red-wearing woman laughed. "Seriously? We look that young?" Nobuko sighed. "Wow, you made my day… even though I know you were just trying to flatter us." Yoshie growled, "Nobuko. Can we stop playing now? They're the ones that they warned us about."

"I know, but…" The woman in black glared. "They're probably waiting for us anyways." I looked to Shinji. "Looks like you were right on that one." I shrugged. "Yeah… I guess."

Also, shut down. They both have boyfriends. "T-they…? You mean you have boyfriends?" Nobuko smiled sweetly. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Did we forget to mention that? Well, gotta go." Yoshie nodded. "Well, see ya." With that, they walked off.

"Senpai? What are you doing here?" A familiar voice called from behind me. "Hey Minato." Shinjiro recovered from the bluenette's appearance with Aigis, and explained. "If you must know, we were spying on these two idiots while they were making their failed attempts to hit on girls." I nodded. "Kicker is, we told all of the girls on the beach that they were coming."

The cobalt haired leader smiled. "I see. And also, I have confirmed that the secret that you told me is safe." I breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. Who would know the trouble that would be caused?"

"Well, there's one last person on the beach whom they haven't tried." Minato looked at me curiously. "Who is it?" Shinjiro laughed. "A transvestite." Minato was about to fall into a bush, but before he could make a collision… Aigis grabbed him under the arms so that he wouldn't fall. "Oh this I've got to see!"

"Minato-san, why are you participating in this activity?" Aigis asked bluntly. "Dude, why's she like that?" Shinjiro whispered to me. "She's a robot." I answered, and all of his questions at that moment were answered. "Oh." The bluenette answered with a small smile. "We're finding joy in watching other people get embarrassed. That is the way of some pieces of humour." Aigis assimilated the information. "I see. So you gain pleasure by seeing other people suffer in embarrassing circumstances. I comprehend."

That… that's not how I would put it Aigis… **_It is true though, Minato. You'd be surprised. _**No, I'm not denying it, but it just seems like it is more intense than it actually is when she puts it like that, Nyx. **_You are definitely right in that respect. She makes it out as if it was some sadistic activity. _**It's not. It's just for fun. The only thing that they'll get hurt with here is a temporarily wounded pride. **_Like mine. _**Sure Tartarus. Sure.

"…Let's just go follow them. Agreed?" The two guys nodded, and we followed them to the last person. This confrontation was interesting in particular.

"She's all alone huh. Kind of strange, don't you think?" Junpei grinned at Akihiko. "Well, what are we waiting for?" The two unsuspecting victims approached the 'woman' in pink. "Excuse me miss…" Junpei asked. "Yes?" The… woman answered. "Are you alone?" The capped teen asked with a grin. "…Yes I'm completely alone. By 'alone' I mean 'single.'" And we all know the reason for that…

"Incidentally, I saw you hitting on those girls." The woman giggled. "How'd it go?"

"We-We were clo—" Junpei started. "It was an utter failure." Akihiko cut in. Burn Junpei. "Oh really? That's a shame. Have you considered any alternate approaches?" Of course they haven't. "We tried to be heroes, but ended up zeroes." Why are you saying that with a smile Junpei? "Do you have to say it like that?" And now, they're even. Of course he did, because he's an idiot.

The woman burst out into laughter. "That's so stupid, it's funny!" Of course. Why do you think we did this in the first place? And Nyx, I think you're rubbing off on me. **_What do you mean? _**I keep on saying 'of course' all the time. **_Is that a bad thing? _**Well… no… but it's weird sometimes.

"H-hey… that's not my 'A' material…" Junpei stated sadly. "How do you expect to get a girl with that attitude?" You don't. "You boys have no balls." And you do miss. Yeah. I managed to avoid saying 'of course…' "Excuse me?" Akihiko burst out in surprise. "Balls?" So eloquent Junpei. "You heard me." She smiled.

"Don't be shy. Embrace the unknown…" Like the unknown bulge in your panties? "Be open to the possibilities…" She said airily. "Especially you, you cute young thing." Junpei jumped in surprise. "M-me?" She smiled. "Yes. You. I can tell you lack experience." She turned to the silver haired boxer. "And you… you're a handsome fella. But even more timid.

Aki looked off to the side, slightly ashamed. "H-how'd you know?" The woman walked a little closer to the group. "Well, if you'd like… I'd be happy to show you a thing or two…" Yeah. Uhuh. Your cock maybe? "Seriously!?" Junpei exclaimed. Not the kind of thing you're expecting Jun Jun. "I'll teach you how to treat a lady right…" And, she giggled. "I'm in!" The capped teen cheered.

"But, I don't know if I can handle all three of you, so… Who will it be?" Junpei of course. Aki would never go through with this. "Me!" Junpei shouted out. Aki sighed. "That's right. I'm the only one who's worthy!" He turned back around to the lady. "I'll show you that I've got balls!"

Slap! Hear that? That was the combined sound of us three guys hitting our palms on our foreheads. "Why did you do that?" Aigis asked. "It's… the way he said that was just so…" Minato started. "Blunt." Shinji finished.

The woman giggled. "Then I'm sure we'll have fun."

"Hey, wait…" Aki protested. "Whaaaaaat!? Are you trying to ruin my summer of love!?" Junpei yelled. So he knows. "Uh… Isn't that hair on your chin?" Junpei backed off, and the woman turned around so that her back was facing them. "What? I-I missed a spot!?" She yelped. "Uh… are you a…?" Akihiko stuttered.

The lady sighed. "There goes my chance…" Thankfully. "I was so close to snagging myself a little boy-toy." I shook my head. Whoa. I thought Junpei was blunt, but this…! Shinjiro fell backwards. "Ya mean… SHE'S a HE!?" And so, the mystery was revealed. "I guess you fellas aren't ready for a woman like me." 'Woman' indeed. "If you decide you want to try something a little spicier, you know where to find me." Another giggle.

"Hey, guys. We should move back to where we were before." Shinjiro nodded, and he led the robot and the bluenette back to the Tartarus-looking sandcastle. Minato whistled as he approached the castle. "Like what you did with it." Shinjiro put on a proud grin. "Heck yeah."

"Aigis, you shouldn't tell them that we were the ones who planned out a lot of their failures. You are sworn to secrecy." I whispered to the blonde haired maiden. "Affirmative. I will not tell of this plan unless told to by you." She answered stiffly. "Cool."

Akihiko and Junpei came back in a huge slump. "Aww man… That was horrible…" I glanced at the two depressed souls. "Guess it didn't go well huh?" Aki deadpanned at the both of us. "'Didn't go well?' That fact that is went horrible was a huge understatement. Hey, when did you get back Minato?"

"Just now senpai." He smiled ever innocently. "Oh, would you like to meet someone?" Aki nodded, and tapped Junpei on the shoulder to stop his moping. "This is Aigis." The silver haired boxer nodded. "Aigis, this is Akihiko…" The bluenette pointed to the still mopey teen. "And that's Junpei." Said capped teen's eyes lit up as he traced Aigis. "Whoa… She's a cutie! Too bad… she's a robot…" And he went back to being mopey again.

"Where've you guys been!? We've been looking for you forever!" Yukari's voice rang out. "Um… who's that Minato?" The brunette eyed the robot suspiciously. "Oh. She's just a new friend that I met." Her eyebrow rose. "A friend?"

He nodded calmly. "Just a friend. Besides, she's a robot." Yukari's eyes widened. "She's a robot!?" Fuuka came to a stop just behind Yukari, and Mitsuru came walking just after that. "I'm sorry to interrupt your vacation, but we need to go back to the house and prepare for battle." My eyebrow arched. Nah, we don't need to.

"It's alright Mitsuru. You've already found what we've been looking for." Takeharu's voice came from the direction of the forest. "Why is that?" Mitsuru asked with a quizzical look. "What we were looking for was this robot, Aigis." The sundress-wearing maiden stepped forward to face Takeharu. "I'll explain when we get back to the house."

_Afternoon_

"You see, what we asked to you to find was this robot, Aigis. She is the seventh generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon." Aigis was out of her sundress, so that her metallic parts were revealed. "I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately."

"Oh my gosh… a robot with a will of its own…!" Fuuka admired. "Anti-Shadow… So it possesses its own Persona?" Takeharu nodded. "I am capable of operating the Persona, Palladion." Fuuka continued gushing over how awesome Aigis was. Not that I minded, but it was pretty cute.

Note to self… don't buy this drink, as I sipped the can of foul smelling liquid. Sarsi is basically Listerine without the burn, and then… you dump in a whole lot of sugar. I lost consciousness briefly from the taste of the horrible drink. Standing up. "Um… are you ok?" Shinjiro tapped me on the shoulder. "Never drink this." I threw the Sarsi can in the bin. Score!

"I told you not to." Shinji laughed. "Lesson learned." I coughed out.

"Sooo! Who wants to work the karaoke machine!?" I shouted out after the introductions for Aigis were done. General consensus said yes, we should. Takeharu even said so.

Yukari went for this pretty song called 'Never More.'

Minato sang a song called 'Yo.' That rapping was awesome.

Junpei scored for a song called 'Golden Time Lover.' It sounded quite fitting for him, though I'll never understand why. It was from Full Metal Alchemist of course.

Akihiko was terrible as ever, and butchered 'Rondo.'

Shinjiro had common sense, so he sang 'Hitomi No Tsubasa' from Code Geass. No, his voice cracked everywhere. Oh damn, I really love that anime…

Aigis sang this nice and peaceful song called 'Brand New Days.' She wasn't half-bad…

Mitsuru was beautiful, and she sang this one called 'Stargazer.' Pretty sure that that was a vocaloid song.

Takeharu… Damn that's a pretty old song. 'When She Cries…' That's pretty and sad… Not to mention, it was done well.

'World End' is the song I tried.

_Sekai no owari de umareta hikari ima kaze no naka_

_Kirei goto dake ja ikirenai_  
_Yasashisa dake ja iyasenai_

_Ubawareta no wa nanda? kawaranai sekai de_  
_Kikoete kita no wa nanda? shikisai no uta_

_Everything is bright_

_Kudakechi tta yume wo asu no hate ni hibikaseru you ni_  
_Sekai no owari de umareta hikari bokura hitotsu ni_  
_Ima kaze no naka_

_Tanin goto mitai ni waraenai  
Sabishisa dake ja nuguenai_

_Kachi ubatta mono wa nanda? arasoi no hate ni_  
_Kikoete kita no wa nanda? kanashiki sakebi_

_Everything is crying_

_Kudakechi tta yume wo asu no hate ni hibikaseru you ni_  
_Sekai no owari de umareta hikari bokura hitotsu ni_  
_Ima kaze no naka_

_Dare mo nakasenai de_  
_Kaere mitasu kokoro ni_  
_Mou nani mo kamo koete_

_Everything is bright_

_Ano hi mita sora wo negai no saki he todokaseru you ni_  
_Sekai no hajimari souzou no asa ni bokura masshiroi_  
_Ima kaze no naka…_

"I'm done!" I flopped back down on the couch and napped.

* * *

AN: Man that took a lot out of me. Sorry there wasn't any action this chapter, but next one will be good for lots of fights 'kay!?

Paradoxjr: Thank you for the internet! (Things beyond magnitude thinkable shall be wrought! *Laughs Evilly*) Ok, I'm joking.

Bultog: Thanks for that review! Very detailed. :) And I'll do my best, because I don't wanna disappoint either!

Anyways, I can't believe that I cut down on so much time wastage! Thank you for my regular readers and reviewers! Ok, I hoped you liked the Anti-hitting Brigade team! Saving women from unworthy men everywhere indeed. Tell me about anything you liked, and anything I can improve on!

Plz review and no flames!


	18. Closer

_22/07/09 Morning_

"Eh? I can't believe it. You haven't even told me when your birthdays are coming up yet!" Okaa-san smiled. "Come on. Tell…" That smile of hers turned into a grin.

"Um… the twenty-ninth of February…" I replied sheepishly. "Mine's on the twenty-second of the same month!" Minako exclaimed. "Oh, I see…" Haruno looked up thoughtfully with a furrowed brow. "No wonder. The twenty-ninth only comes each leap year, and the twenty-second seems to be related to the number of Arcana." She nodded to herself. "Well, that's sure special."

"Oh yeah… this year's a leap year." I mumbled to myself. "That's what I was thinking." Okaa-san agreed. "But, since onii-chan doesn't have his birthday date every year, when will we celebrate?" My imoto wondered.

"Why not just hold it on the twenty-eighth then?" I suggested. "Well…Ok onii-chan!"

I woke up to the soft tickle of sunlight on my nose. Man… It's been a while since I've slept like that. It has been a while since I've woken up smiling instead of waking up sweating and in pain. Looks like someone has been doing a good job of keeping bad memories at bay…

**_Well actually, I've been talking to one of my son's friends… Morpheus is his name. _**You mean the god of dreams? **_Yes, that's right. I saw how you were taking those nightmares, so I put in a good word for you. _**

My mouth upturned into a small but grateful smile, not that she could see it. …Thanks Nyx. **_It's no problem. I will do my best to make this as painless as possible. _**Well, that's a relief. But, is Morpheus ok with this? **_Why do you worry?_**

Well… I'm sure he's got other people to attend to as well… **_You really are a strange one. But, Morpheus was more than happy to help you actually. For whatever reason. _**I wonder why… **_I really don't know Minato. _**Well tell him he has my thanks, yeah? Nyx chuckled. **_Of course. _**Thank you.

I was feeling in a pretty good mood, and for pretty obvious reasons. I'm not usually a morning person, but when I'm feeling especially calm and content I don't mind as much. And it helps that because of this, it becomes harder to make me angry during the day.

I might as well make the most of today, because it's the last day that we're going to spend at Yakushima. On that note, I got up from my bed and did my daily routine before heading down to the kitchen and making myself some toast with peanut butter on it. Peanut butter. Only second to… well actually it's my favourite spread. Never mind. "Hey senpai."

The familiar bluenette made his way to the table. After which his forehead met the glass that sat on top of the table. "Still tired?" A muffled chuckle came from Minato. "I'm almost always tired in the morning." I walked over and sat down, munching happily on the piece of toast in my mouth.

Finishing breaking down a bite and swallowing, I grinned to the bluenette. "Happy birthday." I pushed the remaining two pieces of toast over to him. I make too much toast sometimes. I did not need to make five. Eh, who cares? His hungry gaze met the still warm and crusty pieces of heaven in front of him. They were pretty much begging to be eaten.

The generous spread of peanut butter, the golden hue of the once white bread, the crunch of the darkened crust… Ok, now I'm going into too much detail. "Thanks." He slowly grabbed one of the pieces of toast… Oh damn. That perfect crunch was enticing… I'm getting distracted from my own. Keep eating dammit.

And a relaxed and happy expression returned to the stoic teen. Moving on from toast and butter… The others came down some minutes later, and eventually, the maids were left to make breakfast for the rest of the crew.

Not long after that, it was suggested by Takeharu that we go spend the rest of the day at the beach, seeing as this was the last day that we were going to spend here at Yakushima.

The sun's rays gently caressed our skin, the winds slight but cool, the sand warm and soft… It was a typical summer dream. In my opinion anyways. That gushing kinda sounded like one of Junpei's rants about how awesome summer was, barring the comments about the beach babes and everything.

"We should one last dip before we leave!" The capped teen suggested with a grin. The group nodded, sans Aigis. "Is there a mission on the beach today?" She asked us with curious eyes. Junpei merely grinned at the android. "Naw, we're just here to have some fun!"

Now that I think about it, Aigis seems a lot more robotic than Aigis back in my world. I wonder why she isn't activating her more human personality yet. "You do know what that means right?" The capped teen asked with a questioning gaze.

"Of course. Fun is the refreshment of one's mind and body." Um… that's true, but the way you defined it made it seem like fun isn't fun. That's an accomplishment. "Yup! Man, you sure know a lot about us humans!" Junpei approved.

"Um, isn't it dangerous for her to go in the water?" Fuuka asked cautiously. "I'm sure she's waterproof." Yukari waved it off. That is also true, but the way she said it… I guess she might be hung up on the fact that when Aigis spent time with Minato…

Ok, she's probably just over protective and wouldn't want the bluenette to get with Aigis, even though she is a robot, and that probably isn't possible at all.

"I might as well get in the water I guess… I have only been building sandcastles the past few days…" Shinjiro conceded. "I might as well." Minato shrugged. Indifferent, all the time. "I think I might get in some more training." Akihiko stated. "Aww, come on senpai! We come all the way to the beach and you wanna TRAIN!?" Junpei asked, eyes widened in shock.

"What, you got a better idea?" Akihiko refuted, a small and barely noticeable growl emanating from his throat. It's best not to get in between Aki and his training. Unless you were Mitsuru. "Akihiko, you're going swimming with the rest of us." A sweet smile gracing the corners of her lips as she subtly – or not so subtly – commanded Akihiko to stop his training for once.

"U-Uh, alright… fine." The silver haired boxer grumbled, with a clearly dejected and disdainful look. Damned protein junkie. "What are we waiting for?" I asked as everyone finished discussing activities for the rest of the day. "Makoto is right. We should stop standing around…" Mitsuru affirmed.

With a battle cry, Junpei charged into the water, going about knee depth before starting to splash slightly cold water on the junior girls who came just after him. Aggravated by the difference in temperature between their bodies and the water, the brunette angrily splashed what could be seen as a bucketful compared to Junpei's baby strike and almost knocked the capped teen over.

And Fuuka assessed the situation as support. It really was like a real battle field.

Smiling to myself as Minato joined the fray in their fierce water battle, joining the failing capped teen's side to even out the odds, I went over to Mitsuru who stood somewhat nervously near the barrier of wet sand. "You ok?" I asked with a grin.

"Um… yes…" She looked very unsure of herself. "Come on." I held my hand out gently to her, and coaxed her into the water. Her unsure face turned to one of slight surprise as the cool water washed over her feet, before finally turning into a content expression. "What was that all about?" I don't remember Mitsuru being afraid of water. At all. "Um… last time I went in the water… I almost drowned."

… OH! I remember! This one time, Mitsuru, Minako and I went to the beach. But when that redhead got into trouble… I was the one who went out to save her. "You've got me now, right?" I grinned over to her again. "…Yes. That I do." She smiled, letting her legs become engulfed in the water that now reached up to her knees.

Seeing as she was now comfortable… Grinning as she acquainted herself with the water, I decided to speed their budding relationship up with a blast of water, controlled by water manipulation. "Hey!" She cried with a slight amount of pout. She grinned, using ice manipulation to move the water into large waves at me. I guess it worked really well because ice is just cold and hardened water.

"Incoming!" Shinjiro's voice warned of an oncoming splash of water when I saw the droplets of water that were beginning to splash out splatter against my face. Ambush from behind huh? With a surprising amount of force the liquid crashed onto my chest, almost making me lose my balance. "Dude!" I moved the soaked bangs off my face, and grinned.

"Come on!" I summoned a surging wave to come and attack Shinjiro, and when it hit he was knocked over into the sand by the sheer amount of force and the surprise. "Heh." Wiping the clear liquid off his eyelids, he began to push water at me that held a surprising amount of power.

I could however, hear the rising of a wave coming from behind me, and I threw a warning look to Mitsuru. "Wave surfing!" I grinned as the incoming wave carried me into shore as I rode on it. The redhead however, settled to just diving underneath the wave as she squeezed her eyes shut to prevent any salt from coming into contact with her sensitive eyes.

"You ok, Mitsuru?" I turned back around, and it seemed she was quite fine. Even if her hair was drenched in sea water. She nodded with a small smile in response. "Where's Aki?" I looked around, and… He's running.

"Akihiko." I used a voice about as threatening as Mitsuru's. He stopped dead in his tracks, and turned to face me. The silver haired protein junkie chuckled nervously, but succumbed to my glare and approached the water.

"Come on Aki. Training can wait for when we get back to Tartarus." Shinji tried to get him into the water again. "Aki." I deadpanned at him before sending a splash of water at him, awakening his competitive instincts. "Oh, you're on!" He shouted, lifting some water to attack me with. That's better.

_Afternoon_

This beast was a formidable opponent. His strikes sure and true filled with power and confidence. I have fended him off successfully so far… His next strike will decide the outcome of this battle. He started, charging his weapon.

His determined visage was cluing me in to his undying will. His eyes focused, awaiting my counter strike. I smashed into the weapon, sending it flying over to him. Barely any time to react, he defended himself against it, spiraling the weapon back to me. Smashing into it again, it sailed straight back at him.

He didn't expect the strike at all. It flew back, behind him. Without the weapon he needed… He was defeated. " Goddammit Makoto! That's the third time you've beaten me in table tennis!" Shinjiro raged.

"What can I say? I have played it more often than you Shinji." His growls of frustration were rising up out of his throat. "Well… how is it that you manage to drive every single one of my strokes!?" Still enraged by the amount of prowess I was professing, he stormed out of the room. "Well… anybody want to go again at me?"

I turned to the crowd of stunned seniors and juniors behind me. "Uh… no." Junpei shuffled out of the room and into the lounge, probably to play on the PS2. The general consensus was a big no, the only defiant one being Aki. As usual.

After that match, it was safe to say that no-one wanted to challenge my supreme skill at table tennis. Haha.

_23/07/09 Dark Hour_

Woosh, I'm Nylocke. Yes I do watch TOME if you're asking and if you know what that is. We weren't all going to Tartarus today since we wanted to rest up after the trip back. Not that I could blame them, since it was pretty long.

"Here we go..." I travelled to the last floor of the Monad block. Roars of screeching, clanging metal and banging made for a huge mixture of raucous noise. I had an idea of what it could be, but I had to make sure. I waited patiently for any signs of activity, but none came. There was only one thing that I could think to do.

I moved my ear closer to the floor, and to be sure… the noise that I was hearing intensified. "So that's where he is…" Pulling my gloves further to make them more secure on my hands, I began to charge a few spells, namely a Grydyne spell.

I jumped. An axe kick collided with the floor of the checked floor, crashing open with spider like formations that creased all over the material. Placing my other foot on the ground, after lifting out my other foot out of the crater that I made the ground cracked open like brittle glass.

The material that made up the floor dissipated and fell down, revealing an abyss of complete darkness. I didn't fall through it though. It appeared that there was an invisible floor just under the checked ground that I could stand on, and it wasn't until thinking about falling down the hole did the floor give way to glassy steps that I could barely make out that spiraled down into the depths.

I wonder how deep this goes down.

I walked a leisurely pace down to the bottom, and it wasn't until furious roars erupted from the inky blackness did I accelerate to my top speed and dashed my way down. Whatever is down there…

The problem is getting worse.

I skidded to a stop as I reached a cold floor, almost as black as the ebony that made up the walls of the abyss. Strong presences were swirling around me, giving off abnormal amounts of killing intent that was even catching me off guard.

Nothing but that was happening for a while, so I did what had done at the top of Tartarus: I tapped my boots on the floor twice. **_"So, you've come." _**That male voice that assaulted my ears before spoke. A small amount of light was pouring through, at least allowing me to see the people that stood around me.

"Damn right." I smirked. If they couldn't see my expression, it wouldn't matter too much. **_"What can I do for you, 'Master of Tartarus'?" _**The voice had a badly hidden mocking edge to it. It was probably in an attempt to aggravate me. I wouldn't let it get to me.

"I was wondering why you were making so much noise is all." I let a calm tone seep into my voice, and fits of laughter erupted from all around me. **_"We were bored. What else?" _**I sighed a little. "And making a racket in here is your idea of fun?" I mused. **_"It is highly fulfilling." _**I smiled. "I'm sure it is. So, what's the real reason?"

**_"You catch on quick. I, Kronus…" _**Pale yellow light filtered into the room, revealing Kronus in all his glory. **_"I challenge you to a battle." _**The man that stood before me was dressed in beige robes, leather straps that went around his wrists and brown sandals.

"I'm up for it." I pulled my gloves even tighter around my hands, and I further examined the Titan that stood before me. His body wasn't in the best of conditions. Bone showing through his skin, a little exposed. His supposedly slicked back and white hair was slightly shaggy and feathered out. I brought my fists to the scabbards that held Mukou and Mugen.

**_"Show your best, Reaper." _**Even if his face was made gaunt by the showing of his cheekbones, a grin graced his visage. "Of course." This really was… all in good fun. The killing intent had all but disappeared. And Nyx? **_Yes? _**I said 'of course' again. The night goddess sighed.

I unsheathed my crystal swords, bringing them into a slight stance.

No other words were exchanged when he and I charged towards each other. A golden sickle formed in his hands to help fight me off since I had both of my swords. I twisted around him, trying to score some cuts on the old time Titan. He saw them coming, and managed to block most of them, the force of my blows travelling through his sickle instead.

Changing tactics to overwhelm him with speed, I sheathed both my swords as he swung me away with his sickle. I flipped as I was pushed back, and pushed off the wall behind me sending me sailing to Kronus. Tetrakarn spells engulfed my fists in silver glass.

The time Titan tried to swing his sickle at me again, but I reflected the blow back with the spell's power when I intercepted his slash. His arm was blown back, and judging from the speed that Kronus' arm flew back, he had put quite a bit of force in it.

I took this opportunity to try and knock him back with my silver-encased fists, however… I saw the sickle that he was holding right back in front of him again, even when I was sure that I had blown it back not even a few seconds ago.

I realised what happened, but I wasn't sure whether to frown or smile. I was happy that he was actually going all full out on me, but I was still frustrated that he did that. I think my best bet…

I was back in the same situation that I was before he turned time back but my fist actually connected this time. Perhaps he has some kind of limit to his time manipulation powers like I did with the Persona. Not that I really used it that much but it was useful sometimes.

That turned out to be an increasingly likely scenario as I was able to score another one-two with my fists while he was defenseless The time Titan gritted his teeth, and…

Uh… Shit.

The sickle he was wielding turned into a large scythe, and it wasn't long before he had me dodging the large arcs of the bladed weapon. The glass of my Tetrakarn-covered hands shattered as I dispelled the barrier spell, and I drew my two swords again.

Slowly but steadily I was able to work out a dodging pattern for his scythe arcs, and put my dodging and attacking skills into practice My sword was able to score some scratches on him, until they turned into a maelstrom of slashes that poured out gold ichor.

Not losing my cool at the damage I was now dealing, I jumped over him and scored a fairly deep cut on his back. He grunted in pain before I found myself at the top of the jump I was doing before, and his scythe's blade plunged into my stomach as I realised what just happened.

But… how come my Omnipotent Orb isn't working? **_I'm not sure… perhaps it's just because he's a Titan. Maybe it only works on normal Shadows. _**Good to know Nyx. But turning my attention back to the metal that is now in my stomach… Goddammit that freaking hurts!

Nyx chuckled a bit before her presence faded from my mind. Come on… shake this off Minato. Checking the red liquid that was pouring out of my stomach… it was tinged gold and black… Weird. I guess I'll figure that out later.

I stood back up, and decided that swordplay was obviously not working at the moment. Ugh. I charged up two spells in my hand. One Dark, the other Light.

Beams of light and spheres of darkness were shot into the Titan, blowing him back in the form of a Nova Kaiser and Omega Cluster spell.

Hn… I would have thought that he'd have turned time back already to avoid this, but… maybe he can't? It has been longer than when he last did that… Maybe he… Well, there's only one way to find out.

Ignoring the extreme pain I was feeling… I drew out my revolvers and started to fire out some heavy artillery in the forms of several Water, Fire and Electric spells. When the shots combined, it was clear that it would do a lot of damage to the Titan when they collided.

He was still recovering from my earlier barrage of Spells, and they hit dead on. Burned, scorched and swamped from the sheer force of the spells, and he didn't turn time back. He must have some kind of limit to this…

Maybe because of what happened during the time jump and the consequences of it he couldn't do it. I did end up with a hole in my stomach I suppose… That begs the question. Why am I not dead?

Crap, bile rising up in throat. I tried to battle it back down, but it seemed that it didn't work. I knew when I felt the warm and slow trickle of blood flowing out of my mouth. I spat out the remaining globs of blood in my mouth onto the floor, and gritted my teeth to ready myself again.

And, I'm still not dead. Maybe the Omnipotent Orb is doing something else…? **_The Omnipotent Orb can't protect you from getting hurt, but you won't die. _**That's freaking crazy Nyx. **_But, I don't kid. Most of the time. _**Of course. Staggering up to my full height I summoned Orpheus Crescendo, and he began to play, while I rapped to the music.

'Mass Destruction', 'Wiping All Out', 'Reach Out To The Truth' and 'Time To Make History' all played in succession, the notes unleashing barrages of Almighty magic that also contained the sub elements of Gravity and Nuclear.

The lights that flashed everywhere started with blue… At this time, Kronus didn't expect the music to do damage to him and he was knocked down to the ground easily, but not before he became disoriented by the disrupting sound waves. Scarlet came next, in more blasts and explosions, and he was flung around the room.

When 'Reach Out To The Truth' came, the colours changed to gold, and the notes came to summon orbs of light that smashed into the time Titan's stomach. With the last song, silver and white spears pierced into the body of Kronus everywhere, leaving him incapacitated by the many blows of Almighty energy.

But, you know. This is a Titan we're talking about. And remember what happened to me when I fought Nyx? Of course he wasn't done.

He staggered up onto his feet, and goddammit again!? Back at the scene when I was charging up my Omega Cluster and Nova Kaiser spell once more… He freaking dodged them! Ugh. And now all that damage that I did to him was undone! That is annoying. But at least now… He definitely won't be able to manipulate time again for a while.

Welp, I'm going back to Backbeat. This fight could be insanely fun, but he is time travelling too much. It's freaking annoying. My tribute to you, Princess Amagi… That girl in red. That was Yukiko. This was a fast paced song in the middle, and slow paced at the start. And when you really got into it, this style was so hard to dodge because of how much I was moving.

A tempest of slashes made their way into the time Titan's chest, spilling out some more of the gold liquid that was God ichor. There wasn't any time for Kronus to react to the constant onslaught of cutting and hacking, and with the graceful movements I as combining with the powerful song… It was no wonder he couldn't stop me, let alone hit me when I was going as fast as I was.

Not only that, but I was switching between a remix of the song and the original. The remix was slow and steady and the original spirited and swift. The disorienting changes in style were allowing me to get in openings everywhere, and it was no wonder that Kronus was definitely getting beat down now.

I wonder if I'm at least getting more powerful from this. This Titan's attempts to block me were moving as if he was in slow motion… I kicked him to the wall, and placed both of my swords at the sides of his neck. "Do you give?" Kronus tapped the wall twice. Done. I lowered my blades from his throat, and sheathed them in my scabbards.

**_"That was… impressive. You did well, time traveller." _**I don't know why I froze up when I heard the old time Titan. This was common knowledge to me. Then, why? **_"As callous as I am at times… I am a little saddened at your loss." _**I snapped back around to face Kronus as I headed for the stairs.

"Are you pitying me?" I asked in a dangerously low and menacing voice. **_"No. As I said, I am impressed. That's why I'm giving you this." _**Huh? "What?" I asked. As soon as I spoke, a bronze coloured light fell from the ceiling and entered my chest as it came down to level with me. "Are you serious?" I was almost joking, but… I knew what he gave me. I wasn't sure about it.

**_"Very. What use are my powers when I'm locked up here?" _**Well… At least he has a sense of humour. So, I chuckled a little bit. "I guess so. Are you really sure though?" It was clear the Titan wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. "Well then… Thanks Kronus." He nodded again, and I guessed now was my cue to leave Tartarus.

"I'll see you later." I snapped my fingers, and left the building.

_24/07/09 Lunchtime_

Hm. I topped the exams. As always. Up there with my empress. As if she wouldn't get top marks though. Well enough on that. Everyone knows how I care about exams. What's next on my timetable anyways?

My eyes scanned the length of the small piece of parchment that I was holding in my hand. Ekoda. Figures. Better get this over with.

_Afternoon_

"Yuki. Yuki! YUKI!" Huh? What? I looked around form my ever peaceful nap to find… Oh. It's you. "So you're finally awake." The classic-literature teacher sneered. I nodded slightly. "Uhuh." I answered nonchalantly. Of course, I knew that was going to get him fuming. Just what I need. Some action.

"Can't you stay awake and listen to the lecture!?" He shouted down at me. Hah. Everyone's staring at me. "Well I could, but I still wouldn't learn anything." I replied with a blank expression. All in my plans to rile him up some more. And of course, people around me started snickering quietly. But they were at least loud enough that Ekoda-man could hear.

The suspects were… Aki, Shinji and… MITSURU!? Really? I never would have thought she'd get so loosened up so easily… Well, that just gives me even more incentive to strike this stuck-up prick some more. "Why you…!" He started to rage.

I was as calm as ever. That was probably what was setting him off even more. "Now see here, you as the students are supposed to respect your teachers!" I chuckled slightly. "You're a teacher? More like a cassette tape in the shape of a man." I deadpanned at him once more.

This was disturbing the students around me even more. Worst of all, I could actually believe this was true. "Out." I grinned. "Uhuh." I shrugged before sauntering out the door. "See ya later fraud!"

An explosion occurred. Ekoda was the victim.

_After School_

"Thank you for that show you put on." Mitsuru smiled slightly. "No problem. It was fun." I smiled back at the redhead. "I could imagine. Getting yelled at and making laugh at your expense? Of course. Highly fulfilling." I put on a smirk. "Of course it is. It was also very awesome to see Ekoda-man get riled up like that. Forgive that language, but… he's a prick."

"Oh no. I share the same sentiments. I'm just not nearly as vocal about them." Hah. No shit. I could go on a rant about the bastard for a few hours or so. "I know what you mean." Mitsuru nodded in agreement, and she went up to the upper floors to do whatever.

Hm. Thinking about cool girls… Where's Aigis? "Hello Makoto-san." A familiar robotic voice addressed me from the direction of the stairs. "Hey Aigis." I closed my book. My awesome, awesome book. "I would like to ask some questions of you." Putting my scanning senses on briefly… Nup. Probably won't be coming in a while.

"Ok…Like what?" I wasn't actually sure what expression to use when I was talking to the mechanical maiden. "How is it possible that you are Arisato Minato when he is already here?" I knew it would be something related to that. I was wondering when she was going to ask. Thought she would've done it earlier.

"Put it shortly Aigis… I am an Arisato Minato from an alternate timeline." Aigis' eyes widened in shock. Yeah, I didn't think she'd believe me either. "How is that possible?" I shrugged my shoulders at that.

I don't really know what kind of trick Nyx used to get me here. "I'm not really sure…" Aigis seemed to be asking for more out of that explanation. "All I know is that the bringer of the Fall in my world did that."

"Who is this?" She asked intently. "She's a goddess named Nyx. She sent me back here so that she could live, and because I was about to kill her." The android nodded slowly in understanding. "I comprehend. How are you going back to your world then?" Her tone was much softer this time.

"Nyx said she'll send me back to my own timeline after we defeat her here." I replied simply. "Well, are you ok for now?" I wasn't minding too much about who knew this information right now. If they wanted that answer… I guess I could give it to them. I'm only worried that they'll get sad when I leave. Seeing as Mitsuru seems to have fallen in love with me again…

And Minato seems to have gotten pretty attached to me now… Heck, I think all of the people here would be sad if I went. Just making it harder for me to go back huh? But I have friends waiting for me too. I tried to resist ruffling my hair in frustration.

"Yes. Thank you Minato-san." As if on cue, Minato walked in through the front doors and gave us a wave.

_Dark Hour_

Well, thank Thanatos that the sound from downstairs stopped. If it didn't I would be very disappointed. Hm. I wonder when Shinji's going to ask about that situation with Mitsuru and my ring. On second thoughts though… I probably shouldn't have done that in front of Junsei. Sometimes I'm just really dumb.

"Makoto." And, Shinji on cue. "So… Are you going to tell me about that at the beach?" His expression was particularly blank. "Well… I would. But… I didn't say when later was… did I?" Loophole! "Really?" The beanie wearing brunette sighed. "Well I guess, but when are you going to tell?"

"Probably… not until a long time." I responded. "'Long time?'" Shinji asked. "Give or take five months." I clarified. "Why?" His tone was becoming more irritated. I wouldn't blame him with how cryptic I've been going with him. "I'd rather tell everything at one time. That's all." And because even I haven't sorted everything out either.

"What kinda answer is that?" He frowned. "I know it isn't a good one. But… it's just something that will… it'll make sense later." I'm even already giving you a clue. It's up to you if you can figure out what I mean.

One of Shinjiro's eyebrows rose in what was probably scepticism "Tch… Fine then." He muttered as he walked away. Distrust? I would guess so. Would I trust something like that if I was him? Probably not. Actually, hell no. From what I've learned… I don't actually trust too many people, do I? That's kinda depressing.

There are only a handful of people that I really trust. I'm not even sure if I fully trust the members of SEES in this timeline. Perhaps only Minato and Mitsuru, but that's it. Maybe not even Mitsuru here. Hah.

Funny… cracking sound. Hi Minato. Said bluenette threw a questioning glance at me.

_25/07/09 After School_

**_Hmm…_** What's up Nyx? **_I'm still having a bit of trouble believing that you beat dear Kronus so easily. _**Why? Is it that unbelievable? **_Um, yeah. You haven't gotten that from my tone yet? _**Ouch. That's a bit mean. But you know, powers of the universe and all that shit. **_Yes. Of course. _**Well that sounded kinda dead. Anyways…

I wonder why he gave me a copy of his time manipulation powers. It's probably something that I wouldn't be using much either. **_I don't know. I wouldn't question it. _**I suppose so…

I sighed quietly. Yeah, I'm going to walk for a bit. Getting some air and clearing my head seems like a good idea.

It wasn't too far off from four from what I could tell. Sun position wise and all. Warm… but surprisingly nippy at times when some freezing winds flew past me.

I set off on my walk, taking in many deep breaths as I tried to relax myself some.

It was about now that I was on the sidewalk of the Moonlight Bridge. You know, I don't seem to be caring too much about the fact that I'm not all too bothered that this was the place where Death was sealed in me. I suppose that I've been slowly getting over it now, since I have a lot of other stuff to think about nowadays that isn't the Moonlight Bridge incident.

Those kinds of thoughts never really crossed me much both in the times when I'm awake and in the times when I'm asleep and fully in Hypnos' clutches. Not anymore…

A shrill screeching noise broke me out of my thoughts.

Shit. I never thought that I would hear these sounds again…

Junpei, Minato, Yukari, Fuuka, Shinji, Aki and Mitsuru are moving too fast. They're on the monorail! Shit!

Finding my way to the monorail tracks at the other side, I watched the monorail on the tracks skid past me without any signs of stopping. It almost looks like… The train hi-jacking from Narita in my world! It was heading in the direction of Iwatodai station.

I have to get on to the front, because if this keeps going it could crash into another train… Using Kronus' time manipulation powers, I slowed down time so I could warp to the front car without any problems. The car rattled a little bit as I made my way on, and my nose was alerted to these familiar scents of blood…

Dammit… All the people here are dead or injured… Looking around, I pushed the people as gently as I could off of the control board, and looked around for the brakes. You know where it is…! Catching a glimpse of the control I needed, I activated it.

The train awoke to a screeching halt, slowing down just before leaving the Moonlight Bridge. I breathed out a huge sigh of relief before slumping down onto one of the chairs.

…I should check for any SP signatures now… I was able to sense all of my friend's SP signatures easily, but… why are they all distressed?

Maybe those thugs are still on the train… I traded my clothes in favour of my Reaper attire and snapped my fingers before warping to the carriage where I could feel these small, but malevolent Spiritual Pressures. I could only recognise them to be the criminal's. Whoever they are.

I glanced around once more, and I could see Aki and Shinji. They were being threatened at gun point, and I could feel the anxiety oozing off of them in huge waves. Well, there's one way I know I can handle this.

"Silent Night…" I sent everyone in the carriage to sleep, including Aki and Shinji. I think the only ones who would be able to sense me now are Fuuka and Minato. Picking out the thugs from the crowd of people that were just sent to sleep I teleported two sets of handcuffs here and set them around their wrists.

We're not out of the woods yet…

I ran to the carriage where all the kohai were staying also with Mitsuru. I whispered again that sleeping spell and sent everyone on the monorail to sleep. Well, that's all I need to do. Now I just need some more handcuffs, and…

Sprinting to the thugs, I placed the handcuffs on their wrists. Looks like all I need to wait for is the police…

I warped back to the dorm, throwing off my Reaper attire and slipping on my staying-home clothes. I wonder what would have happened if I didn't stop that?

_Evening_

The rest of the SEES members came home a lot later than usual, but I couldn't blame them. Fuuka was busy trying to prove something to the girls that she was coming in with. I couldn't really tell whether they were agreeing with her or not, but I'm leaning to the not believing side.

"I'm telling you, I'm positive I felt the Reaper's SP signature while we were on the train!" Oh. I chuckled to myself softly. Minato threw a knowing glance at me and nudged his head while smiling a little before stepping to the upper floors. He wants me to come up huh? I'll so that… "Are you sure you weren't imagining it, Fuuka-chan?" Yukari asked, sceptical.

I can't believe it. Amai is actually getting flustered about this. "Yes! Why would I lie!?" The teal-haired girl exploded. The brunette dressed in pink was frantically trying to calm her down, with not much success. "I'm pretty sure Minato would agree too! He told me he felt something strong on the monorail, and the only thing that could match up to that is the Reaper!" Fuuka refuted.

"Makoto…" Mitsuru's warm breath whispered into my ear, sending shivers everywhere around my body. Damn. "Yeah?" I looked to the redhead with a questioning glance. "What do you think about Fuuka-san's conclusions?" She smiled at me.

"Well, I knew I felt a spike of SP a few times… but I don't know. Could be possible." I explained. "I see… Someone also has to explain how I fell asleep so quickly on the train. That does not make sense…" Mitsuru mused as she rose to her full height.

I shrugged my shoulders at that one before heading up to the second floor to see that bluenette. I stepped into his room quietly and closed the door behind me. "What's up?" I asked.

"Oh. I was just going to ask whether you were the one who put the thugs in handcuffs." I grinned at him. "Reaper-san at your service." I gave a fake two-fingered salute. "Anything else?" I asked as I leaned on the wooden door that led out to the corridor. "I just wanted to thank you. That's all." He smiled. His eyes are becoming… dark blue… Weird…

"That it?" The blunette nodded. "No worries. Helping my friends is what I do." Minato smiled softly at that and nodded.

_26/07/09 Afternoon_

"Makoto-senpai." Minato approached me. He nudged he head towards the direction of the stairs, and I took it as a sign that he wanted to talk to me in his room. "Mmhm." I stood up and followed him.

Shutting the door behind him quietly, he settled down on his bed and I on the chair that was just in front of his study. "What is it?"

Minato sighed as he began to speak his question. "Firstly… what happened to that sound that you were hearing from the Monad block?" Well… I should've known that he'd have to ask that question when they did just stop echoing out of that bottom block. "Don't worry about it. I took care of it."

The bluenette nodded, but of course that still begged this question: What was I dealing with? "Ah. I was just having a fight with the Titan Kronus. Turns out he was just bored." 'Huh.' was pretty much what his eyes were telling me. "Ok. Also… This Social Link went up to Rank 10."

So that was what the glass shattering sound was? I didn't think it would max out that quickly. But of course… "Cool. Did you know that there is a Rank 11?" The bluenette's eyes widened, and as that happened, I thought I saw a sliver of dark blue run through his grey eyes. "Is that so? I guess I should hang out with all my other friends some time…" I nodded. "Yup. That'll be fun." I smiled back at him.

"Yeah… Now… I know this might be an off-beat question for you…" I gestured for him to continue. "How much do you trust me?" His grey, now borderline dark blue eyes stared into mine intently. It was the type of gaze that you had to answer to. "Honestly?" He nodded.

"That I would trust you with my darkest secrets and you wouldn't reject me." His eyes weren't just dark blue now. They were turning aqua… "And that I would trust you with my life if things got out of hand." Whoa. His eyes are about the same colour as mine now… "Hey… try looking into the mirror."

He looked at me questioningly, but shrugged and turned to the mirror on his box of drawers. His eyes widened, almost comically as he realised what was happening. "What the…?" He blinked multiple times before realising that his now cyan eyes weren't a figment of his imagination.

"How did this happen?" He mused out loud. "I'm thinking that…" The bluenette turned to face me. "How were you feeling during the time when you were caught up in that car accident and now?"

He didn't really get the point of this and I could tell from his scrunched up eyebrows, but thought about it anyway. "I guess… it was the kind of feeling that you wouldn't mind whether you lived or died… I can't really describe it now." Thought so. "And now…?"

"I have people to protect. I can't die now." He grinned. It wasn't like the other grins that he pulled when he was sarcastic or witty. It was… I think it was like the way that I smiled back when my imoto and I were still little. Like I didn't have a care in the world, and you had that wish to make everyone around you happy.

"I see." I grinned back at him. I wonder what having a little brother would be like? Is it like this? The trust that I'm feeling right now… It's the same mutual trust between me and Minako. A shattering of glass echoed through the room. Mentioning Rank 11…

Minato looked at me, half in disbelief and the other in happiness. "Onii-san."

Ok… My turn to blink in surprise. "Really?"

"Yup, onii-san." Must. Resist. Fainting. I shook my head out of my thoughts and looked back at him. He was grinning just as much as before. "Ok… otouto." I winked at him.

"Only when no-one's watching." I breathed out a small sigh of relief. "That I can agree on."

Philemon? "Yes?" Would it be possible to give him VIP status? "Are you sure?" Yeah. As far as I'm concerned… he just made a contract. The butterfly masked man chuckled. "That I can do. I'll make it so that he can enter those rooms by himself." Thank you so much. "It's no problem Minato."

"Ok then otouto. Wanna go to the Velvet Room?" He stood and nodded. "Let's teleport."

Landing in the lobby of the blue room, the cyan-eyed bluenette started looking around curiously. "I didn't see those doors before…" I nodded. "Yup. I know." I walked over to the lilac door of the Concert Hall, and opened up the entrance also beckoning Minato to the same room.

"You've been here before. Don't worry." I smiled at the bluenette behind me reassuringly. He nodded slowly as he too walked to the door.

"Welcome back." I smirked jokingly at Minato.

"The Concert Hall?" I nodded at Minato's deduction. "Yup. You didn't really think that the Concert Hall was just for training, did you?" My otouto deadpanned at me, but soon shrugged it off. "No…"

"What do you feel like doing?" Minato shrugged again. "Well… I guess I'm up for some singing." I grinned as a wireless microphone formed in his hand. "What the…?"

He looked curiously at the black mouthpiece in his hand. "The real purpose of the Concert Hall makes it so you can practise your musical skills here. How did you think I got so good at what I do without practise?" I smiled at my otouto. "This was the same way that my imoto got really good at singing, and pretty much everything else here."

Minato nodded in understanding as he connected the dots. "Whatever you need for what you're practising will just materialise in the room." On cue, a keyboard appeared in front of me. "So what song are you thinking of?"

"I'm thinking of… Discord." Closet brony. Or he might've just heard the song and just liked it way too much for his own good like I did. "Same. Remix?" The bluenette nodded.

_I'm not a fan of puppeteers, but I've a nagging fear: Someone else is pulling at the strings._

_Something terrible is going down through the entire town, wreaking anarchy and all it brings._

_I can't sit idly! No I can't move at all!_

_I curse the name, the one behind it all!_

_Discord, I'm howling at the moon, and sleeping in the middle of a summer afternoon!_

_Discord, whatever did we do to make you take our world away?_

_Discord, are we your prey alone? Or are we just a stepping stone for taking back the throne?_

_Discord, we won't take it anymore! So take your tyranny away!_

_I'm fine with changing status quo, but not in letting go: Now the world is being torn apart!_

_A terrible catastrophe played by a symphony, what a terrifying work of art._

_I can't sit idly! No I can't move at all!_

_I curse the name, the one behind it all!_

_Discord, I'm howling at the moon, and sleeping in the middle of a summer afternoon!_

_Discord, whatever did we do to make you take our world away?_

_Discord, are we your prey alone? Or are we just a stepping stone for taking back the throne?_

_Discord, we won't take it anymore! So take your tyranny away!_

_Discord, I'm howling at the moon, and sleeping in the middle of a summer afternoon!_

_Discord, whatever did we do to make you take our world away?_

_Discord, are we your prey alone? Or are we just a stepping stone for taking back the throne?_

_Discord, we won't take it anymore! So take your tyranny away!_

"That describes our situation so well. If you don't take the word 'discord' as the literal meaning…" I muttered under my breath. "Why do you think I chose it?" The bluenette grinned. "You awesome bastard." I ruffled his hair.

* * *

AN: Sorry this took a bit longer! School did just start back up again, so that's going to slow me down… And I found out that I had like three presentations due on the one day, only to find out that one of them was going to wait until next week and that one of them was going to be held today instead. Stupid. Hope you liked the fight that I put in. It was so hard to think of points in the fight when Kronus would turn time back. Annoying. Anyways, some replies!

Cloudshellbullet: Thank you, I'll do my best. That and, I think it tastes awful. That's just my opinion and only my background is Filipino.

Bultog: I don't know. If you think I'm getting that one out fast, that was just because I was more motivated. I know, but I usually pack at least one into every chapter, but then again… I didn't apologise for the lack of action in the fifth chapter. XD

And no. I am going to finish this story with as much awesome as possible. I haven't even implemented this one final idea yet. :P

Regular reviewers, arigatou!

Plz review and no flames!


	19. Complications

_27/07/09 Morning_

"See ya later Minato-nii." The bluenette waved with a small smile. "Later otouto." I grinned back at Minato. Minato joined the track team, and it turned out that that was where he met one of his Social Links. Kaz, Rio and Yuko. They were always pretty fun to hang around, and they were some reliable friends.

Of course, with the track team comes the competitions. Because of the upcoming competitions, if you were a part of the team, you would be subjected to a training course. It was at the competitions that I met this guy called Hayase Mamoru. He was a determined guy, and almost beat me in a race the first time. Almost.

Minato probably won't be coming back until late. And he'll be tired. And he's still gotta organise Tartarus explorations too. I rubbed the back of my head as I thought about the problems of being a Fool.

Speaking of Fools… I walked back to my room. I'm remembering the first time that I went to the Velvet Room… I said that the jester that was walking off the cliff was a stupid guy. I chuckled to myself. Doesn't that hold true for me? I sighed as I went back to sleep. It was pretty early.

Well… Or I could go and visit the shrine to look for Koromaru. No. Sleep. After all the times that I woke up because of nightmares, I think I'm going to take as much sleep as I can get. Besides, I think it would be better if I waited to see if Ken would be at the shrine as well. Two in one would be awesome.

_Afternoon_

Naganaki Shrine. Peaceful as always. I'm actually excited for the summer festival that should be coming in some weeks. That'll be nice. The peace was broken by the barks of a shiba-inu. The red-eyed canine padded over to me and looked especially happy as his tail kept on wagging. "Hey Koro-kun." He barked a happy 'hi' in response. "Have you seen someone named Ken? Brown hair and eyes? Black hoodie and orange shirt?"

'Yup!' He barked. "Really? Where?" Koromaru replied with 'I smell him coming now!' I patted the white dog's head. "Thanks Koro-kun." He yipped happily and waited with me at the bench for Ken.

"You don't have to wait with me." I smiled down at the dog. He shook his head slightly, as if to say that he didn't mind. "If you say so."

On cue, the hoodie wearing brunette of the Justice Arcana made his way to the shrine. He looked around for something before going to the bell that sat near the offertory box. Koromaru ran over to Ken's side and nuzzled his leg just after he finished praying, and…

Why are you leading him to me Koro-kun? "What's up Koromaru-san?" He asked the dog as he stopped just in front of me. "You want me to meet him?" The shiba-inu barked an affirmative.

"Um…" I think… I should start by breaking the ice. "Do you like Featherman?" I asked with a grin. He was taken aback by the out of place question, sure. But his eyes were sparkling slightly with excitement. "Uh… No." He looked off to the side.

"Come on. I can tell you like him. I do too." Ken's eyes widened with a whole lot of surprise. "Really? But that's kid's stuff… and…" He stuttered. "Yeah? So? Did you know that guys my age like magical ponies?" Now that was a priceless expression right there. I wish I had a camera. "Are you serious? Is that true?" I nodded vigorously.

"Yup. You shouldn't be afraid to act like a kid. A kid acting like an adult makes you look more like a kid." I explained. "…But… I…" I shrugged. "I haven't even told you my name yet." His eyes widened as he realised that he too did not introduce himself properly.

"I'm Yuki Makoto. But, you can just call me Makoto." I smiled. "Oh…yeah! I'm Amada Ken! But since you said that… you can just call me Ken as well." I nodded. "Sure Ken. So were you going to tell me the reason why you want to try acting mature?" I grinned.

"Um… I don't… really want to talk about it." For a moment there, it seemed like he was remembering something especially painful… Are they those eyes of an avenger? Looking at him again… His Persona is Nemesis. Revenge.

"Ken… Can I tell you my story since you don't feel comfortable telling yours?" He nodded slowly, not knowing where I was going with this. "Maybe you can tell me yours after if you get comfortable." He nodded once more.

"I lost both of my parents in a car crash. It was just me and my sister." I looked off somewhat nostalgic. "After learning that we didn't have anyone to take us in, this kind woman pretty much adopted us two." Ken listened intently to my tale.

"We stayed with her for a while, and it was pretty fun. But… you see…" I think my face may have turned into a frown. "This bunch of people… they attacked her. For whatever reason. Maybe it was just for kicks." I caught a glimpse of his eyes widening as I continued. "They were about to get her, but… as she protected my imoto I stepped up and…" I sighed. "I killed them."

The boy of Justice Arcana recoiled in what seemed to be fear, but… he seemed to trust me enough to finish my story. "From then on, I was so angry at the people that almost ended my mum… and the kinds of people that would do that. That… I ran from home and started going all over the country and killed every criminal or thug that I came across."

As if his eyes couldn't become any wider. "It was only until later that I realised what I was doing and came back home." Come on. You can't cry from this. "When I did… it was only my imoto." I sighed. "Turns out in the time that I was gone, okaa-san… passed away." I chuckled to myself. Ken's shoulders were shuddering.

"After I found that out, I kept on blaming myself for okaa-san's death. Everyday thinking… 'Maybe if I just stayed at home and didn't let it get to me, she wouldn't have died.'" I breathed out in relief, that I was almost finished. "It was only until recently that I realised that taking revenge on the people that attacked okaa-san and the all the other criminals in Japan was an utterly horrible idea." I smiled at the now almost tearing up brunette next to me.

"Are you saying that… my idea was wrong?" He muttered. "You see… My okaa-san died about two years ago… I saw it all… She was murdered!" He almost started shouting. "But, that guy will never be brought to justice and… I wanted to get revenge on him myself and…"

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "I know who did it. And that guy…" I shook my head. "He's been tearing himself up about it all this time. He kept on blaming himself every day until quite recently. I know for a fact that guy is one of the nicest people on Earth, and I would tell you… It was an accident that he did that. He would never have intended it."

"Castor." Ken perked up at the name. "Look, I'll tell you right now. What killed your mother was something called a Persona." The boy of the Justice Arcana's eyebrow rose. "The Persona he had was… it was out of control." His eyes were pretty much telling me to explain some more.

"You want to know?" He nodded. "A Persona… it is a mask that you wear to protect yourself from danger. Like… maybe you act cold and uncaring to protect yourself? Maybe you act mature to help you get through life? A Persona is the manifestation of that façade. Get it?" He nodded once more after taking all that information. "Where are you going with this?"

"You have a Persona too." His eyes widened once again from his state of calm. "Her name is Nemesis. You know what that means, right?" After going through some things in his head he nodded. "Nemesis… she's the goddess of divine retribution." I smiled. I thought it was an admirable Persona overall. It just depended on what you used it for.

"Really? How do you know?" I grinned this time. "I have a bunch of Personae. People who've awakened to their Personae like I have can see other's Personae too." Ken nodded, and concentrated on me. "Who's Thanatos?" He asked. "Thanatos is one of my Personae. He's the Greek God of peaceful death."

I changed my Persona to Orpheus Crescendo. "Then who's that?" He asked again.

"Orpheus Crescendo is his name." I answered. "He was the most awesome minstrel ever, and he was this one who travelled to hell to get his wife back." I rubbed the back of my head.

"Really? I wouldn't have thought…" I shrugged. "I'm good at playing almost every musical instrument. And… perhaps he is a metaphor to what I've been doing."

"What do you mean?" Ken asked curiously. "Well, I'll tell you I guess. Me and my friends are part of this group called SEES, and we are a group of Persona users." His eyes brightened up, easily enthralled by the topic. "We Persona users fight against these black monsters called Shadows."

"What do they look like?" I chuckled. "They look like black blobs, and they usually have red eyes poking out of them."

"Really…? I think I've seen some of those before." I nodded this time. "Green sky, yellow moon, blood everywhere?" I described. "Yeah! I know I've seen that before!" He said excitedly. "Yup. I'm not saying that you have to, because it's your decision, and what we do is life threatening. Do you want to try joining?" I suggested.

"Yeah. I mean… no-one really lives at the elementary dorms so…" I ruffled his hair a bit. "Hey! That was…" I chuckled. "Only you can do that." He pouted. "But Ken. What do you think of revenge now?" I asked with a bit of a dark tone.

"I want to see what that guy has to say. If what you said is true… then… I'll stop." He stated with resolve. "Good enough." I looked at Koromaru who was napping in front of my feet. "Look at Koromaru." I asked of Ken.

He looked at me sceptically, but looked at the sleeping shiba-inu. "What the!?"

"He has… a Persona!?" He looked disbelievingly at the dog. "Yup. His name is Cerberus." I clarified for Ken. "But I don't know whether he'd want to join." I shrugged.

Koromaru perked up his ears and stretched awake. He barked, 'I would like to. But I still have things to take care of at the shrine. It's important to me.' "What did he say?" Ken inquired. "He said he wants to, but he also wants to protect the shrine."

Ken 'ohh'ed in realisation. "You don't have to join if you don't want to Koromaru-san." The shiba-inu barked an affirmative. "See you later Koro-kun." I waved to the dog who barked a goodbye at the both of us.

I led Ken to the Iwatodai dorms and waited for Mitsuru. "What am I supposed to do in the mean time?" Ken asked. Yup. He looked restless. "I dunno. What do you want to do?" He cogitated for a bit.

"What about role playing?" I suggested. "Role play what?" He asked, excitedly. "Hm. Maybe… Do you wanna act out the last scene of Code Geass?"

"Sure! But who's going to be Suzaku and who's going to be Lelouch? I don't mind either way." He stated. "Well… I'm feeling Lelouch right now. You ok to be Suzaku right?" Ken nodded.

"Ok then." I grinned as I ran to the top of the stairs. Ken ran and jumped, and he freaking flipped in mid-air. I backed off a little bit as he ran up the stairs and pretend punched me in the stomach. I imitated grunting in pain and bent down to my knees.

I smiled as I recited these lines and Ken did the same. "Lelouch…!"

"Your punishment shall be this then." I said in as solemn a tone as I could make. "You will live on, serving as a knight for justice and truth. You will no longer live your life as Suzaku Kururugi. You will sacrifice the ordinary pleasures of your life for the benefit of the world."

"This Geass… I most solemnly accept." Ken pulled his fist from my stomach and moved out of the way. I sat myself at the bottom of the stairs not wishing to fall over and hit my head on the stairs on the way down.

"Lelouch?" A beautiful redhead's voice echoed down from the stairs, and Mitsuru sat herself beside me. "Oh hi there. Um, the role play's over now." I grinned up at the Kirijo heiress. "Ah yes. I would just like to ask." She looked up at the hoodie wearing brunette, who was looking sheepishly at the ground. "Ah. He's a Persona user that wanted to join." I stood up to my full height.

"Really? Is he sure?" Ken spoke up to answer Mitsuru. "Um yeah. I joined on my own, so it's fine." Mitsuru nodded. "I see. Well, then. What is your name?"

"Amada Ken. But you can just call me Ken." The boy of the Justice Arcana supplied. "Ken… I see." Mitsuru nodded. "I will see to changing your room assignments shortly." The redhead walked back up the stairs.

"Don't worry about her. She's just a little stiff around people that she hasn't gotten used to yet." I smiled at the small brunette. "I wonder why she hesitated when she said my name."

"I think she was one of the people that… She was one of the people that were there when the Shadow attacked your house. Oh right. Shadows can only be defeated by Persona users. This was probably why my friends were there, to defeat that Shadow." I explained.

"I see." Ken said after taking in the explanation. "What kind of weapon are you thinking of using?" His expression pretty much said, 'huh?' "You don't honestly think that we would just charge in there, guns blazing, and use our Persona on everything, did you?" I grinned.

"Umm… yes?" He replied sheepishly. "We can't just use our Personae. We have to have some sort of back-up for your powers since you can't use it all that often." He nodded in understanding.

"Like… I usually use my twin swords to destroy shadows. If I can't or if I see an opportunity to destroy them quickly, then I use my Personae." I explained again. "Oh. Using Personae can use up a lot of energy I guess." He nodded to himself. "Yup."

"I think I would go with the spear." Then I would give you Gungnir. Or Pasupata. Yeah, I'll go with Pasupata. "Ok. I'll give you one later… once we go for your first Tartarus exploration." He looked at me inquisitively once again. "What's Tartarus?"

"I'll explain it to you when we get there, 'kay?" Ken put on a thoughtful expression before smiling. "Ok then."

_Evening_

After role playing some scenes from anime and re-introducing Ken to Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka and Aigis who all welcomed him with open arms, Minato came back looking slightly puffed out. "Oh, hey Makoto-senpai." He panted out before collapsing onto the couch. "Who's the newbie?" He asked with a smirk. Ken let out a small puff of indignation while the bluenette laughed at his reaction.

"His name's Amada Ken. I found him today and he said he wanted to join up. Ken…" I looked down at him. "That's Arisato Minato."

"Yup. You can just call me Minato though." Ken nodded vigorously but then motioned for me to come closer to his height. I knelt down, and we whispered into my ear, "Why do both of you look so similar?"

I chuckled. "It's something we don't really know." I whispered back. Standing back up to my full height, I explained a few more things to the young Justice Arcanum. "Minato is the field leader for our operations. Mitsuru, who you met earlier, is the manager of our operations, so she takes care of things such as new members."

"Oh, ok. So, Minato must be pretty strong!" He grinned as he approached the still tired bluenette. "Yup. He is." Minato chuckled. "I can never beat him though. He's way more powerful than me…"

"Really? Why isn't he the leader instead?" My cyan-eyed otouto sat up to full height. "He's a particularly busy guy, so he can't join us on Tartarus explorations all the time."

"Fortunately for you. If I was the leader, we would be running laps around Monad non-stop with the Shadows firing at you from every direction." I grinned at the bluenette. A shiver went down his spine and he froze up before recovering with a scathing remark. "Jerk."

"Yeah, I know." I rubbed the back of my head. "Really? But Makoto seems pretty nice." Ken looked at the both of us. Actually that clueless expression of his is a little cute. "He is. But he's a slave driver when it comes to training." I mock punched him on his shoulder, and he rubbed the spot I touched with a hurt smile.

"Are you up for going to Tartarus today?" The bluenette shrugged in response to my question, but nodded anyways. "Good. Looks like we'll be able to break Ken into this business later." I grinned before throwing a few practice punches in the air.

"Whoa… That's cool." Ken stared in awe. "There's someone who's been doing boxing for longer than I have. Do you know someone named Sanada Akihiko?" The young Justice Arcanum's eyes started to sparkle in wonder and he nodded enthusiastically. "He actually lives in this dorm. Perhaps you might catch him… Oh actually…"

"Three… two… one… There's the man himself!" I grinned as the silver-haired boxer stepped into the dorm. "Did someone call my name?" He looked around before his eyes settled on Ken. "Oh wow! It's really him! He hasn't been defeated in a match yet!" The young Justice Arcanum shouted.

"Hey Aki, what are you doing just standing there?" Shinji's voice came from behind the door. "Oh." The beanie wearing brunette didn't say much more before Aki started his reply to Ken. "Oh, thanks… Um, what's he doing here?"

"He joined up with us." I said simply. "Did he… did he join on his own?" Akihiko asked with a concerned tone. "Yup! But I never imagined I could see Akihiko-san here!" He grinned up at the silver-haired boxer eagerly. Said teen rubbed the back of his head.

He nodded before heading up to the upper floors. But Shinji's gaze stayed fixed on Ken, as if in a trance. "Are you alright mister?" Shinjiro snapped out of his stupor and nodded slowly. "And… Don't call me mister. I'm Aragaki Shinjiro… But you can call me Shinjiro or Shinji…" Now that the beanie wearing brunette had broken out of his staring contest with the elementary school, he was trying to avoid his gaze as if to escape his scrutiny.

I walked over near to Ken and whispered to him, "This is who he is. But…" I stepped back up. "Don't tell anyone that I said that to you." I grinned at him. The Justice Arcanum nodded slightly at me before returning to Shinjiro's attention.

"I'm Amada Ken. But you can call me Ken!" He held out his hand for a shake, which Shinji took nervously. "Um… ok." A slight smile appeared on Shinji's visage. I think it may have been from the lack of violent reaction. I think. Knowing Shinji, it could have been for anything.

"By the way, we're going to Tartarus tonight to help train Ken up." I notified Shinjiro who nodded at me.

He walked somewhat stiffly to his room, and Ken turned back to me. "I like him."

Well, that was unexpected. "His Persona… it's in control now right?" I nodded. "Yeah. I told you, he's nice."

"I shouldn't have doubted you I guess." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Never doubt what Makoto says or does. It'll usually turn out to be right or for a good reason." Minato quipped nonchalantly as he went back up to his room.

"Well… I guess that is kinda accurate." I smiled.

_Dark Hour_

"Well, this is Tartarus." I introduced Ken to the tower. "It only appears during the Dark Hour, so not many people know about it, since most of them would be inside their coffins." The young Justice Arcanum nodded. "Come on." I nudged him further into the gates that stood in front of the prison.

Once Ken was able to get a feel for the lobby of Tartarus, I gave him the spear Pasupata which was made using a Shiva. "Careful yeah?" He nodded, but his cheeks were puffed up in indignation. "Yeah." He forced out, without blowing up.

I grinned back at him to show it was all in good fun. "Well, I'm going to take Ken, Makoto, and Mitsuru." Minato stated his team set-up. "We're going to try to start at the Tziah block, since Ken is weaker in levels. Until he can catch up that is, then he can try to join us in the Monad block." Everyone seemed to agree, and Aki and Shinji didn't seem to have an opinion on it.

Using the green pad that sat to the side of the entrance of the labyrinth of Tartarus, we teleported to the first floors of the gold filled block that was Tziah and continued to beat down Shadows that we came across. "Strange… We have been on this floor for a while… I wonder why it hasn't come?" Mitsuru mused to herself.

I tapped my feet two times on the ground, and the music changed to Uninstall from Bokurano. Amazing song. Once I start listening to it, it's so hard to get me to stop listening to it. "Maybe he's just having a bit of fun instead." Minato suggested, trying to cover up for me some more.

"Probably. I never would have thought he'd be a music junkie." I quipped. Of course I am. Why would you think otherwise when I have Orpheus as my first Persona? "Who's the Reaper?" Ken asked.

"The Reaper is sorta like a guardian for Tartarus. He comes occasionally to hurry us up. So far, nobody has been able to defeat him. He's so powerful, I can't beat him." The bluenette explained. "Can Makoto beat him?"

Such an innocent question. Yet this could be what undoes my secret if he keeps going. "I don't know. But, I'm confident enough that I can at least hold him off." Smooth. "If you see him, he's actually a pretty nice guy and doesn't attack us out of nowhere unless we somehow spend fifteen minutes on a floor." Minato explained.

"Why hasn't he come yet though?" Mitsuru wondered some more. I swear this will be the end of me. I would like to try keeping the secret for five more months. I'd love to see their faces when I show them who the Reaper really is. After all, then they would start asking some questions that I wouldn't be able to avoid then.

"I don't know. I think he might just be messing around with the sound system." Minato suggested. Cutting down another Shadow… "I mean, that's probably what I would do if I had that kind of power." The bluenette smiled before cutting down another Shadow. "Let's go to the next floor."

And increase the Shadow count.

**_Are you ok Minato? _**Whatever could I be worrying about Tartarus? **_They were getting increasingly close to your secret. _**True, but if Minato is with me… I think I should be fine. **_You do place a lot of trust in that boy. _**Yeah. I trust him to have my back in battle about as much as Minako. **_Do you think he could defeat me? _**Not at this point in time Nyx. **_Perhaps by the end of the year he'll be about as strong as you._**

That would be good to see. After all the time I've been spending with him, I'd hate to see him just go like that. **_Yes. I do wish for him to succeed. I promise that if he gets to the stage that you got to… I won't do the same as I did. _**Thank you… Besides, 'this isn't a pain I would wish on anyone.' **_Yes. From what I've seen. _**

You don't have to apologise to me Nyx anymore. I already know how you feel about it… And if you keep going, I might just get depressed along with you too. **_We can't have that. _**The night queen chuckled. All you have to do is watch. You've already been helping me quite a bit. **_I have? _**Do you think so little of yourself mon cher nuite reine?

**_Perhaps I do. It's either that or act like a 'stuck up prick,' as you so elegantly called them. _**That is what they are. **_I agree. _**Both gods said in unison.

Minato threw a glance at me after cutting down a bunch of Shadows, and he wasn't impressed. I shrugged it off before slicing another black monster apart. Meanwhile Ken was doing well fending off the Shadows with his new spear. For a first timer it was impressive. I wonder where he got all this practice.

But, of course… he still wasn't used to the usual conditions of Tartarus and it wasn't too long until he started to summon his Persona. I didn't even teach him how to summon it without an Evoker… How did he do it so quickly? Needless to say, they were wrecking the eldritch abominations apart easily with their combined efforts.

There was a lack of Shadows for the rest of the floor, and Ken was getting tired. "I think we should go back." Minato stated, turning back to the rest of the team. "But! I can keep going!" Ken protested. "You shouldn't push yourself. You'll build up the stamina that you need in time, so don't worry." Mitsuru smiled.

"But…" Ken stopped mid-sentence and sighed. "Ok."

He's really still a kid huh? Meanwhile, Minato was still deadpanning at me.

_02/08/09 Morning_

"Hey, good luck otouto." I grinned as Minato got ready to leave for the big meet. "Yeah. I wonder how I'll go." He mused. "Just do your best and you'll be fine." I tried to encourage him. "Mmhm. I'll do that." He smiled to himself.

"Makoto…" Ken came from upstairs, still rubbing his eyes and wearing Gundam themed pyjamas. That was funny and kinda cute. "Where are you going?" He asked, letting out a small yawn as he was still sleepy. Speaking of getting a lack of sleep… He has been doing pretty well in Tartarus so far. Already ending off the Harabah block. Crazy training pace, even if Minato always seems to come back puffed out from the practice that he has for track.

"I'm going to a track meet. I'll be back later in the evening." Minato replied. "Oh ok… I'll see ya later…" With that he went back up. "He seems to have gotten attached to you." I smirked at the blue-haired Fool. "And he to you." He seemed to agree.

"You think so?" Minato nodded. "If you say so. Well, you should get going soon."

"Yup. See ya later Minato-nii." He smiled and waved as he made his way out of the dorms.

_Evening_

"Makoto… what was your sister like?" Ken asked curiously. "My imoto?" He nodded. "My sister was one of the kindest and gentlest people I knew. She was just as good as me at music, and she was also unbelievably beautiful. Like…" The Justice Arcanum stared up at me. "She was about as beautiful as Mitsuru… but of course, that's just my opinion."

"Really… do you have a picture of her or something?" I shook my head. "Let me try drawing her though…" I ripped out one of the pages from my notebook and sketched in a circle with two lines; one going vertically, the other horizontally.

I started to draw in the cheeks and the chin before connecting it all to the top of the circle to form the scalp. Following the horizontal line, I drew the eyelids and the rest of the eye just under them. I formed the nose with space under the eyes, in the middle of her face. I created the smile that she always wore.

I drew in the rest of her hair, starting with her fringe and bangs before moving back and sketching the ponytail. For the finishing touches, I made the continuation of the neck, shade and highlighted and lastly… I drew the bobby pins that she always wore in her hair that formed the roman numbers of twenty-three.

I picked it up and gave it to Ken. "Wow. That's a good drawing… and… she's really is as you said…" I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Yeah. I think without her… I would've become a lot more depressing than I am now. I guess she was what I would call my Star after finding my way through the fog and mystery." Ken chuckled a little.

"Your Star huh?" He nodded to himself. "Yeah… Dammit. I miss her…" I looked off nostalgically. Ken stayed quiet, until the dorm doors burst open. "Oh hell yeah, WHO'S THE BOSS!?" Minato strutted into the lobby, and smirked at me. "So, you won I'm guessing?" Judging from the grin, yes.

"Well duh. I didn't train my butt off for a week to just get defeated. But that Mamoru guy almost beat me though. He's freaking fast!" The blue haired Fool complained. "Oh yeah. I can imagine." I nodded in agreement.

"Great job Minato!" Ken congratulated the azure eyed teen. "Thanks Ken. But… I am kinda beat… I don't think I'm going to be up for going to Tartarus today…" Minato sighed.

"That's alright. Even strong people need to rest sometimes, right?" Ken replied. The bluenette looked at the young Justice Arcanum with a soft gaze and nodded. "That is some pretty good advice." Ken rubbed the back of his head a little before going back up to his room.

"He's pretty smart for a kid." Minato commented. "Yup. Oh. Do you wanna see this picture that I drew of my imoto?" His eyebrow rose slightly, but he took the piece of paper that I was offering in my hand anyway. "Whoa. She's… she's really cute."

As I thought.

_06/08/09 Dark Hour_

These two Shadows. I hate them. The Justice and the Chariot Arcane.

We were struggling down the dark tunnel to find our way, the Shadow that we were following leaving tank-like marks in the dust. The sound of the tank that we were following grew ever closer as we knew that it had stopped down at the bottom.

"Guys, surround them!" Minato called out, commanding Aigis, Ken, Shinjiro and I to cover as much space as possible. "Affirmative!" The blonde haired android responded as she put herself into a designated position.

"You got it!" Ken's voice echoed in the slight darkness. "I've got it." Shinjiro's low voice came out last. "Mmhm." I replied.

"What is this? It's difficult to tell what Arcana it is… It feels like there is both the Chariot and Justice Shadow in one! How is that possible?" Fuuka notified us.

"We'll just have to be careful for now, but let's start attacking." Minato stated. "Aigis, debuffs and buffs! Ken, fire off Ziodynes to trip it up and do your best to shock it! Shinjiro, wail on it your physical attacks! Makoto… tag team it with me." Have I told you I love how you think Minato?

Aigis started by activating a Masukukaja, letting a green light envelop our bodies to increase our speed. Minato and I zipped forward to meet the tank-like Shadow, performing Uninstall from Bokurano in a deadly sword dance. Had this been a normal person, he would've been dead by now.

Several slash marks streaked all over the tank, heavily damaging it. "Hamaon!" The other blue haired Fool and I took it as our cue to get out of the way, and the light curse ripping sheets of paper cut through the Shadow easily, almost like darts or shuriken. "God's Hand!"

Shinjiro's Castor Persona smashed into the top of the tank, bringing a large amount of Strike damage down on it. The tank separated.

"I see! The turret is the Justice Arcane, and the remainder is the Chariot!" Fuuka revealed.

I saw that Ken had started charging another Hamaon spell, and Minato a Mudoon spell. Orange light covered up my body, and I knew that Aigis had activated a Matarukaja skill.

Hm…I know. Shards of silver and gold glass started to gather around my fists, but I didn't let the Makarakarn or Tetrakarn form as a shell. I shot the shards of mirror at the Justice Arcane, ripping through the defences of the turret as it was simply paper.

That is an attack I'll have to keep around, considering how much damage that did. Minato and Ken had finished charging their respective Dark and Light spells, and fired them at the same time, combining the two opposing forces.

The pale yellow and dark purple combined to make silver beam of light still containing the curse-dispelling papers of the Hamaon and the blobs of shadowy energy in it. The Justice was taken down, and crumpled into a huge heap of metal as the SP signature of the Shadow disappeared.

A final violet light encased us, increasing our defences. Marakukaja. While Ken and Minato teamed up, Shinjiro was continuing to bash down on the Chariot with multiple Akasha Arts and God's Hand attacks. I decided to help out, timing my Grydynes so that Shinji's strikes with his axe hit even harder than normal when they came down.

Minato and Ken turned their attention to the Chariot Arcane, trying to figure out a plan to take out the tank-like Shadow for good.

"Magnadyne!"

"Ziodyne!"

Boulders rose up from the ground, covered in electrical energy. They raced towards the lumbering figure of the remaining Shadow, crashing into it with such force that both of them had dissipated into red and black mist.

"So…How did that go?" Minato asked as he calmed down from the battle. "That was cool." Ken complimented. The blue-haired Fool smiled. "If you think so."

"That was fun. Thanks for the help Shinri." Shinji grinned. "No problem. Thanks for the buffs Aigis." The android nodded with a small smile. "You're welcome."

"Overall…I'd say that this operation was a success." Minato looked around for confirmation, to which we all nodded. With that, we made our way back to the rest of the team without any further complications.

Shattering glass again…

_08/08/09 Dark Hour_

It was a pretty normal day today. There wasn't anything particularly interesting about it though. But once midnight struck I could feel two SP signatures battling out. I left the dorm before warping to Naganaki Shrine, and those two signatures were Koromaru and some random Shadow.

"Omega Cluster!" Shots of red and black Dark energy collided into the unsuspecting Shadow, and it easily dissolved into that familiar red and black mist. I came closer to Koromaru to check on him, and to my chagrin he was injured at his right flank. "Diarahan…" I channelled Alilat's power through to heal up the shiba-inu, and he soon recovered, good as new.

"Are you ok boy?" The red-eyed shiba-inu barked an affirmative before going on to say 'I want to repay you for helping me. I could have ended up seriously hurt.' I patted him on the head. 'Can I help you to destroy more of these?' He ended up joining anyways? "If you're sure…"

'Of course I'm sure!' He yipped happily.

After getting that confirmation from Koro-kun, he started to follow me back to the dorm as I walked back. I opened the doors to the dorms and let Koro-kun in, and he calmly padded into the lounge. "You ok?" He nodded as he wagged his tail.

"Makoto!" Mitsuru approached me as she strode over to where Koro-kun and I were standing. "Hey. Is something wrong?" I asked. "It's just that we scanned the area and we detected a Shadow, but then it suddenly wavered until it disappeared after a few minutes…" I nodded.

"That was me. I felt the SP signature, and I went out to find out what it was." I looked down at Koro-kun. "I found Koromaru here fighting against that Shadow, and I just helped him to fend it off when I did." The shiba-inu barked happily.

"This little one has the potential!?" Mitsuru exclaimed, not very easily grasping the concept that Koro-kun was able to summon a Persona. "Yeah. Apparently so." I patted his head. "Is there anything that won't bother to surprise me?" Mitsuru pinched the bridge of her nose. All the feels there. "I don't know." Yeah. I'm not going to know because I'm going to blow your mind out on the 30th of the January next year. "But, is it ok if he can join?"

Koro-kun yipped excitedly, and at this point, Mitsuru wasn't able to refuse. Even if I knew that she didn't mind having him on the team anyways.

_09/08/09 Morning_

It wasn't all that early today. And why wouldn't I be sleeping in when I stayed up until midnight? Anyways, none of the others know about Koro-kun being here. I guess I better get down there. Plodding down to the bottom floor, it seemed that no-really was up aside from Minato and Aki.

"What's up?" The bluenette and the silver-haired boxer turned to face me. "Why is there a dog here?" Aki asked bluntly. "He's a Persona user." I replied just as simply. "He has a Persona?" Minato asked as he bent down to pat the shiba-inu on the head.

"Yeah. I don't know why, but he does." I shrugged. "I'm not going to question it. He did join on his own will after all." In fact… this is everyone on the team now, besides Ken. The team is complete.

"Yeah, I suppose. Besides, who wouldn't want to have Koromaru on their team?" How did that bluenette manage to roll him onto his back? "Well, I guess. You know, we have the weirdest team ever." Akihiko noted. I deadpanned at him. "Yeah, because you know… all Persona users are weird."

I grinned at the indignant grimace that Aki had on. "Oh…well fine."

_10/08/09 Morning_

"Yes I am serious." Mitsuru said with a smile. Yes! I get to skip out on this! "Aww! Nooo!" Junpei exclaimed with a huge frown. "WHY!?" He fell down to the ground in an epic act. Or not so epic act. "You see, we have been spending a lot of time at Tartarus, and I apologise that it may be hard for you all to balance your schoolwork and Tartarus explorations."

She continued with, "So, I made arrangements for Akihiko, Shinjiro, Junpei, Yukari and Fuuka to go to summer school." The three guys were absolutely devastated, while Yukari and Fuuka had small grimaces on. "How they don't have to go?" The capped teen whined.

"That is because Makoto seems to get full marks on his tests without studying. Same with Minato." Very attractive otouto. His head was resting on top of his arms and hands, which was placed on top of the table. Napping.

"Really? You do it all without studying!? What's your secret!?" Junpei's eyes were sparkling with hope. "I studied the curriculum at the beginning of the year." I waved the question off. And of course, that hope was easily broken. "Is that how you did it?" Mitsuru asked with a smirk. I nodded.

"Maybe we should try that next time…" Fuuka whispered to Yukari, who seemed to agree. That is, if there is a next time. No. Depressing thoughts, out. We'll be fine. "Yeah… I'd like to have free time all the time if I could help it…" The pink-wearing brunette said back with a smile.

"Good luck guys." I grinned to the disappointed group of teens.

_Afternoon_

"How did you come up with the same idea as me?" Minato asked as he sat down next to me on the couch. "Well… we are technically the same person… I don't know what other alternate Minatos would be doing, but you know."

"That is actually a weird thing to think about. To know that there are other Minatos who've done the same thing or are doing the same thing as us at this very moment." The bluenette mused. "I'd never had thought it possible until now." I smiled.

"Same with me." Minato agreed. "To think that such little changes in circumstances can change a person completely." I grinned. "Just the fact that you came from an alternate timeline… it changed so many things. I don't think I would've turned out the same way if you didn't come in and change everything."

I nodded. "You'd still be all zombie-like." I joked. "And you?" Minato asked. "I think… I probably wouldn't have cared about my friends as much as I do now. Even if I act all snarky and sarcastic around them." The bluenette nodded. "Yeah… Friends are awesome aren't they?"

"Of course they are. It makes me feel angry when people take their friends for granted like some." I gritted my teeth with a small amount of anger. "I've been maxing out every Social Link I've come across. It's fun hanging out with them. Even with Tanaka." I almost face vaulted. "Really? You had to mention him?" I grimaced at the azure-eyed Fool.

"In all seriousness, he's actually nice once you come down to it." I grinned.

"Um… You remember when you said that you'd trust every secret that you have to be kept safe with me?" I nodded. That was a little embarrassing but it had to be said. "Yeah… What about it?"

"What do you think of Nyx? Right now?" He asked bluntly. I sighed. "Well… I actually… I kinda like her now." His eyebrow rose a little. "Why's that?"

"She's been talking to me through my thoughts… And she's actually pretty kind. As much as she'd like to deny that." Minato's gaze was telling me to continue. "She only sent me back here because she knew that she was going to die, and she didn't want to." I slumped back into the couch.

"Since I've been talking to her, she promised that she'll let you kill her if you get to that stage." Minato's brow scrunched up. "How can you trust her?"

"Because she feels bad about it. And besides, you've get me there if she doesn't remember her promise." I explained. **_Gods don't lie. Have you met one that does, except for the trademark tricksters? _**Thanks Nyx. "She also said that Gods don't lie. Except for the ones like Susanoo and Loki."

Minato looked off in thought. "I suppose. That's some good stuff to know though." I nodded. "It is…" I trailed off. "What's wrong?"

I shrugged. "It's just… Nyx said that she'll send me back after we prevent the Fall in this world… I'm not very good at goodbyes…" I mused. "Isn't that right? That's why you're keeping that secret until the very end." I nodded slowly. "Minato-nii. You're an idiot."

"So I've been told." I grinned back.

_Dark Hour_

I didn't feel like going to Tartarus today.

There was just too much to think about during that conversation with Minato. **_Minato? _**Yeah? **_Did you really mean what you said about me earlier? _**Why would I lie about THAT of all things? **_You have a point… _**Hey. I'm the one who's supposed to be feeling insecure here. Why are you the one? **_I don't know…_**

**_I just worry about you I guess. _**Mon cher night queen? Is that true? **_I wouldn't lie about that either. _**Touché. **_Since you're being honest with me, I'm going to tell you something. Please… just don't laugh. _**Um, ok. **_I'm actually becoming confused. _**What do you mean? **_I don't know what to think about my feelings for you anymore. Do you consider me a friend? _**

…Sure I do. **_That's just it. You care about me as a friend, but you have to kill me and I wonder now… _**I sighed. Wonder what? **_I wonder if my feelings are… growing deeper than that. _**Really? **_I mean I care about you. I said it. And… you care about me too, but you're going to kill me and…_**

Oh… Honestly… I am actually having second thoughts about this. But… it's a bridge that I'll just have to cross… or burn when I get there. **_I hope you're right about that. This is strange… Why would you become close to someone that you know you're going to kill? _**I wonder that myself. But I can't stop now… otherwise I think I'll just feel worse about it if I don't get to know you as much as possible.

**_I think… I might feel the same way. Why do emotions have to hurt? _**Why do emotions make you feel better? I'd rather have emotions and feelings than none at all. **_I suppose… _**

I decided to fully immerse myself in my mindscape. The scene that was my mindscape was the rooftop of Gekkoukan high school… Tartarus was standing to the side, still far away from my conversation with Nyx. Nyx was sitting on the side of the small gardens, on the edge of the concrete blocks.

"Nyx…" I sat down next to her and she looked up at me with a small amount of surprise. Her flowing raven black hair covered up her face so that I couldn't see. **_"Minato…" _**

"What's up?" I asked. There were a few moments of silence before…

Her lips were pressed against mine demanding entrance. I wasn't sure how to react to this. More like I didn't do anything and she managed to find her way in anyway. But the feeling I don't understand is why I don't mind… And I started to move in too.

She broke from the lip lock, her cheeks flushing pretty much uncontrollably. **_"I'm so sorry!" _**The night queen cried. **_"I'm sorry…" _**My emotions were in turmoil, and I still wasn't sure what to think.

**_"Why did I do that…? That's not something…" _**I looked down at the ground. "I don't know. I have the same problem…" She smashed her fist into the concrete, trying to relieve some of her anger and stress. Not that I think it was working at all. **_"I'm a goddess… what was I thinking!?" _**I wasn't sure what to say. I had about as much chaos welling up in me as she did. Of course, it was a lot less vocal.

We were left to a few moments of silence. That kind of stagnant silnce that you weren't sure how to get rid of, and the only thing that was breaking the status quo right now was the few instances of hiccupping and sighs.

As much as I would just like to leave her to sort out her feelings, I just felt like I couldn't. What did this make us? Friends? Friends with benefits even? Of course, I wouldn't go that far… Do I like her, or do I love her? Or are we just meant to stay as friends? I just wasn't figuring it out…

Maybe that's just why…

I pressed my lips onto hers, with almost no remorse. This was something that I didn't mind, yet I didn't think all too positively about it either.

…I kissed her.

* * *

AN: I don't have much to say for this chapter other than this came out so freaking fast and I don't know how it happened. It was like constant flashes of inspiration and I couldn't stop.

Thanks to my regular reviewers, and I hope you liked this chapter. Tell me what you liked and what I could improve on. Personally, I think that I should always have a thesaurus on hand. (And I have to thank my English teacher for this awesome site to look at. :D)

Mostly listening to Uninstall (Bokurano), Take Your Way and Be, (Devil Survivor 2 The Animation) while writing.

Please review and no flames.


	20. Help Me Find You

_10/08/09 Dark Hour_

Even with the surprise I gave her and the denial she was definitely feeling, she somehow started to move in through my lips all the same. We were probably battling it out for a few minutes at least before we both decided to break out of the lip lock.

**_"I'm so sorry…" _**I myself was still unsure about this. With that embrace, what did that make us? "I'm sorry…" Tears were starting to well up at the edges of my eyes. The drops of water fell, one by one against the ground. I think it was all finally hitting me that I would have to kill my friend when all of this was said and done. Were we even friends now?

I couldn't say we were friends. From what I could tell, it was a feeling driving even deeper than a friend to friend relationship. Yeah… I knew what it was. The words I said before were just for fun… Could that be going through to her as well?

I don't know if I have the resolve to kill her any more.

It was a standstill for what seemed like hours. It was just the dripping of tears being the only thing that could ever break the silence. That was it. This night goddess… she loves me. That denial is going through… because I already have Mitsuru. From both worlds no less. It was just a whirlwind of thoughts after the other.

And I wouldn't know how to react. Because I loved Mitsuru. It was probably the most complicated thing I had to deal with. Too hurt to do anything else, and too caring for Nyx that I didn't know what to do so that I didn't hurt her. In the end, I was silent enough to leave my mindscape and cry myself to sleep.

_11/08/09 Afternoon_

When I woke up it was almost noon. Did I really sleep for that long? I had half a mind to go back to sleep, but of course… I was hungry, so that was a no go. I was probably emitting an aura of depression since I woke up, because when the others came back from their summer school course they seemed to be avoiding me.

All but Minato and Mitsuru. Usually when my emotions were as wound up as they were, I would go out and start killing people to take my anger out on them. I was trying to avoid that as much as possible this time around.

Besides, when I did that, I usually ended up feeling worse after killing them. It just became a cycle of endless despair after I started. I wanted help. Some real help. Who would help me? No-one could understand this. After all… a goddess enamoured to some blue-haired fool was no ordinary circumstance…

For all the power that the Universe can grant me, I can't even figure out what to do with someone who is in love with me. That's just sad. The frustration within me was turning out to become more like anger, anger, and more anger. It was the feeling when you just wanted to go out and freaking destroy something. Idiot.

_05/09/09 Full Moon, Late Night_

During the rest of the holidays, people were inviting me to go to the film festival. Of course, I went, but I wasn't really enjoying it so much as using that time to brood since I already knew the story to most of the movies that were showing.

I was having so much trouble putting up even a somewhat cheery façade that I had to ask Pixie to help me a bit. Needless to say, that even though Pixie was a naturally very cheery Persona, even she had trouble keeping the happy mask up.

She did her best though.

_Dark Hour_

When the Dark Hour fell, I knew tonight was one of those nights when the big Shadows showed up. I got ready and everything… and we headed off to Paulownia Mall to where I knew the Hermit Arcane was residing currently.

I already knew where the Shadow was. Down in the basement of Escapade. I was barely paying attention to any of the mission details, since I knew all of them already.

We confronted the Shadow in the basement, and Minato was throwing out commands to Ken, Aigis and Koromaru. All the pent up anger I was feeling was begging to be released right about now. Before they got a chance…

With a Debilitate and Heat Riser spell, I charged by all of them so fast they couldn't get a chance to react when I ripped the Hermit Shadow's head off with my bare hands. Full on animal instincts, it was almost if both Thanatos and Skoll were being channelled through me at the same time. Animalistic and predatory instincts were rising up, and I had a lot of trouble keeping it all bottled up.

I couldn't care less that the Ichor was staining my clothes. I was more pre-occupied with trying to contain my anger at this point. I wasn't doing well. Using a silent Traesto Spell, I escaped back out of the club and ran. Ran. Ran...

Even if they were trying to cast Bufudynes and Ziodynes at me to trip me up, I just ran, and they couldn't catch me like that. Even if a Thunder Reign grazed me slightly, I could break through the paralysis easily. Even if a Niflheim was coming to block my way, I would break through the ice. Even if a Ragnarok was coming to even try to broil me into submission, I would burst from the flames unscathed, and even more determined to run.

Even if a freaking Megidoladyne hit me right now, no-one could stop me.

**_"Minato! Please! Stop!" _**Nyx's voice rang out through my mind carrying so much distress. I stopped running on the rooftops. And I disappeared to the top of Tartarus to rest.

**_"Minato…" _**Nyx… **_"You have to stop…" _**I can't do it…

A warm embrace was pulling me into my mindscape, and I could only recognise it to be the gloved hands of the night queen doing so. She wrapped me in a hug, and I wouldn't try to move. She wouldn't let me, and I didn't have the energy to try and escape.

**_"Minato… even if I do love you… It hurts even more if you do this." _**My tears spilling out uncontrollably… and they kept on falling. "Nyx… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" I kept on repeating the words, until I just couldn't say them anymore.

**_"I know that you already love someone else… I've accepted that." _**I gazed into her cyan eyes, finding no visible hurt in them. I still couldn't reply to her at all, finding nothing to say. **_"I knew that… I know what the problem is… and I don't want to hurt you." _**I sighed. "I don't want to hurt you either."

**_"I know how you are, and I find it kind of admirable… That's why I won't mind if you reject me, because I knew that I was going to get hurt." _**We separated after I found myself a lot calmer. I don't think that's so much of a problem now… I still can't bring myself to kill her. But… I think… even for a little while… just maybe.

She's worried because the one who isn't going to get hurt after starting this isn't her. It's me. I think I know what I'm going to do… even if it inflicts all the hurt in the world on me, that is the conclusion I've come to, and I'll follow it to the ends of the earth. If she's not worried…

"Thank you." I nodded with a smile. _"__**What are you going to do now?" **_I answered, "I'll keep on thinking…" I nodded to myself. "I'll sort myself out eventually." She smiled. I haven't… seen her smile before… Whoa. Unearthly beauty goddamn… Beautiful.

I chuckled as I left my mindscape.

It's actually kinda nice up here, I mused. I grinned to myself as I teleported back to around the area of my friends' SP signatures. They're going to kill me for this, aren't they?

_Late Night_

I was pretty much dragged back to the dorm by the collar by Minato. Thank you. Then, he plonked me onto the couch. "Why did you run?" The bluenette asked bluntly. I looked around to see if there was any company, and WHY THE HELL DID THEY JUST LEAVE IT TO MY OTOUTO? "Thank Thanatos there's no-one else here." I sighed in relief.

"Care to tell me about it?" Minato sat down on the couch next to me. "I don't know if you'll think any less of me for this and I won't mind if you do, but… Nyx fell in love with me." His eyes widened, the cyan colour of his eyes intensifying. "But, I'm already in love with Mitsuru. I didn't know what to do… Combine that with the fact that I'm supposed to kill her and…" I sighed. Hopeless I say. Hopeless.

"My frustration at not being able to decide just built up and then… yeah." I explained further. "Minato-nii…" The bluenette whispered softly. "Are you ok now?" I nodded slightly. "I think… I should be fine now…" I looked off wistfully.

"I guess… that just means you care about her feelings a lot." Minato smiled. "Yeah…" I breathed out a sigh of relief. "But just promise me… just because I like her, you can't stop when you try to kill her." The blue haired Fool blinked once or twice before smiling. "Yeah… I won't."

I held out my pinky. "Ok then." Minato laughed a little bit before wrapping his pinky around mine and linking them. "I promise." I nodded with a grin.

Minato seemed to agree, but his looks turned question as he asked, "Is it weird that I'm seeing a little boy dressed in prison clothing who is pretty much death incarnate in my room in the middle of the night?"

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "No. I had the same problem. But it was a little girl dressed in what looked like maid's clothing instead."

Minato held his hand up for a hi-five.

_11/09/09 Dark Hour_

Put it simply, I'm bored now. And… there isn't really much for me to do. It's just school, school, school and… you guessed it. More school. Why is there nothing interesting to do?

Not only that, but the other members of SEES seem to be avoiding me. Again. Not that I could blame them, but it does get a little lonely when the only person who's really been talking to you is the other bluenette in the dorm.

The only things that has me interested right now is that fact that… Minato finally got to the bottom of Monad. I got dressed quickly in my Reaper attire, and teleported to the basement of the prison.

"So… now that you've gotten to the bottom… I want to see how you'll do." I pointed one of my illusion covered swords at Minato, Ken, Aigis and Koromaru, challenging them. Minato flinched slightly in fear. "Why are you doing this now?" He asked cautiously.

I grinned. "Because…I'm bored. That's all. Unless you don't want to fight right now?" My smile grew ever wider as Minato's eyes widened. He bit his lip as he cogitated on his decision. "Guys! You can't win! He's too powerful!" Fuuka warned.

This was putting more pressure on the blue haired Fool, and he even started glaring at me. "You really are a bastard sometimes." Minato muttered. "How flattering. How about the rest of you? Do you think that you can face me?" I asked the rest of the stunned group of robot, boy and dog.

Koromaru though… I just remembered. He's a dog. He barked out happily, and the others didn't seem to know why other than Aigis. "What do you mean he's a friend?" The blonde haired robot asked. "Koromaru… Can you not continue on this?" I glared down at the shiba-inu. He backed away in fear and let out a small whine.

"What do you mean he seems different?" Aigis questioned the frightened dog. Koromaru didn't reply but he looked especially down. "Does it matter right now?" Ken asked impatiently.

"So… have you made your decision?" I asked sternly. "Let's do this." Minato drew his two swords, and readied himself while the others reluctantly took it as a silent order to get ready for battle. "Are you sure about this?" Fuuka asked anxiously.

Minato simply nodded and whispered a simple 'yeah.' "You don't know what you're dealing with." I replied, snapping my fingers. A sudden surge of pressure and killing intent brought the team to their knees and almost suffocating under the pressure. Minato groaned as he was finally unable to stand up to the extreme gravity intensity, and he too was brought to his knees.

I snapped my fingers again, activating Thanatos' spell to send the people in the building to sleep, leaving only Minato awake. Still struggling against the forces, his hands were finally brought down in a pathetic excuse to try and at least keep himself upright. "Why… are you doing this… Minato…?" He whispered out.

"There is something that has to be said to the members of your little group." I sighed. "You can't abandon your friends." I tapped one of my feet on the checked floor twice and changed the song. "If you leave them alone for too long… it's only a matter of time before they snap and run. Run… and keep running."

Minato looked down at the ground sadly and gave out, no longer having the energy to even support himself with his hands. I snapped my fingers and dispelled the gravitational field and disappeared, managing to take SEES out of the dungeon before they became trapped in Tartarus.

I got rid of the sleeping spell, and they began to wake up. One by one, they all woke up, Minato being the last of awaken as he actually passed out of exhaustion. "Ugh… what happened?" Akihiko groaned as he rubbed his head. "All I remember was the feathers and then I got all woozy…" Shinjiro added.

They wouldn't be able to see me as I made up another illusion to hide my SP signature more and to make it so they didn't see me. Minato stood up with a dark expression, and looked coldly at all of the team. He was obviously taking pages from me because I could see a slight glow coming from the bluenette's cyan eyes that was managing to intimidate everyone.

"What's wrong?" Yukari asked with a small grimace. "I'd just like to know the reason why everybody except for me seems to be avoiding Makoto." He asked bluntly with a glare that could freeze ice again a second time. He has definitely been learning from me in some aspects. I wonder how he managed to activate the glowing eye effect. When I use it, I borrow a little bit of Thanatos' SP and channel it through to my eyes to create the glowing effect, releasing the freezing killer intent at the same time.

If I did it Orpheus, my eyes would likely start to glow a violet colour. I need to try this sometime… That would be interesting. Why am I talking about makeshift eye contacts? I shook my head out of my frankly, distracting thoughts and waited for SEES' answer to his question.

Many of the group members shifted uncomfortably until Fuuka spoke with a small and shaky voice. "We… we're scared of him…" Minato's eyebrow twitched as he found that out. "I don't trust him." Shinjiro stated plainly. To this Minato nodded. I would understand that, considering how much I lie. Wow. I've actually lied to pretty much all the people here except for Minato.

"Put simply… we don't hold the same amount of trust for him as you do…" Akihiko stared at the ground sheepishly. Minato sighed. "Do you still consider him a friend?" He crossed his arms.

The general consensus came as a collective albeit shaky 'yeah' or 'yes.' "Well… how can that be true if you don't trust him?" That was not what I was expecting. The only thing that I expected was that it was a harsh draw from the blue haired Wild Card. "What about… let me put it this way." The bluenette stared intently at Mitsuru before turning back to the rest of the team.

"Mitsuru has held a surprising amount of secrets. But do we still trust her and consider her a friend?" He asked, with what looked like a triumphant grin inching its way across his face. "Yeah… I do." Yukari started. "Even if… I'll admit it. I don't like Mitsuru as much as some… But I still trust her…"

Mitsuru smiled a little before Minato continued. "It's the same with Makoto." Have I mentioned how good you were at talking to people, Minato? "It's likely he won't employ the same trust for all of you if you don't accept that he won't tell us his secrets until later." Junpei and Shinjiro were especially thoughtful.

"And… last thing." He still has more to berate these stooges on? Geez. "If you're scared of him because of his powers… Be thankful he's not on the enemy's side." Haha. Yes, that would be very frightening indeed. Grimaces went around the team as they realised how lucky they were that I wasn't on another side and with them rather than against them.

If I sound like I was stroking my ego a little, well… if the fact that I can defeat gods and goddesses, even Titans didn't clue you in to the amount of power I could wield… I'd say that my smugness at this is justified.

"Ah, a touching reunion." Dispelling the illusion that was wrapped around me, and leaving me only with my normal Reaper clothes to cover up the mystery I grinned. "Um… Why are you out here?" Minato asked. I think he knew why I was out here, but for the sake of keeping that secret… he decided to humour me. I owe him big time don't I?

"I didn't realise…" Fuuka stuttered. She's probably cursing herself for not being able to sense me. "It's called SP suppression. You should learn it sometime." I explained with a haughty tone. Keeping up Reaper façade. It wouldn't surprise me if this mask also manifested as a Persona… I'd actually like that to happen.

"Why are you talking down to us?" Ken pulled an indignant expression. "Why?" I grinned. "You all got your asses handed to you when I didn't even start fighting." He recoiled in response. "The only one I'm impressed with so far is Minato… but. He did fall to the extreme pressure a few minutes later…" I shrugged it off while I saw a small smirk form on Minato's face.

"Well… anyways. Thank you for that…" I turned with a smile to Minato. "And… you should probably get back to your base, or whatever. Dark Hour should be ending soon." I bowed, almost like Eli-chan or Theo when they greeted and saw off contractors. The blue haired Fool had a raised eyebrow as he saw the resemblance. "I bid you all… adieu."

Have I told you how much I love you right now, Black Frost?

_12/09/09 After School_

I wonder now… I did tell them that advice yesterday as a warning… but… I wonder if I'm being selfish in wanting my friends to stay by my side all the time. **_Of course not. _**I chuckled a little bit. You said the opposite of your catch phrase. **_Why, come in here and let me…! _**Um… what? **_Did you remember that I carried a sword when I was battling you last time?_**

Are you using the same threat that I use for other guys?

**_…Dammit. _**Thought so. Anyways… What were you saying about me not being selfish? **_I was just thinking… I think you at least deserve to have people that you love by your side. After what you've been through… _**I was beginning to feel sleepy… Thanks Nyxie-chan…

**_Yes, yes… stupid nickname. _**I laughed quietly some more before going up to my room and catching some winks.

But it seems that Morpheus was off duty, because I had one of the weirdest dreams. Ever.

It seemed that I was watching from a distance. Ok, so I was hearing from a distance but you know. Pained screams and whimpers were filling the air, and what I was able to recognise as a knife plunging into flesh came along with it too.

"No… please stop it!" The pathetic sounding voice cried out.

…Am I imagining it, or did I hear small barks of laughter coming from that same voice?

"No I'm not going to stop, you merde!" Who I guessed to be the torturer cursed. In French. Actually… that sounds freakishly familiar. "Please! I'll stop teasing you about Cybele for a week!" The pained voice whined.

"Vos actiuons ne peuvent pas être pardonnés, bâtard!" The other man growled out as I heard another sound of metal piercing flesh. Is this overkill, or what? And… why is he speaking in French anyways!? "What do you mean? Of course they can!" The victim gasped out.

"No. Especially not after you tried to make me screw her while she was asleep!" Uh-oh. I hear constant scraping. This is about as insane as when I was torturing them thugs when I was little. "Ow…! Geez! Stop that!" I heard the cocking of a gun. "You wanted me to stop." The man said with a low and dangerous tone.

Silence permeated the air before a gunshot rang out. "Oh for the love of Adam and Eve, FREAKING STOP TORTURING ME!" How is he still alive? From what I can tell, this has been going on for a while. "No." I felt as if the person who replied to pleading voice was smirking.

I heard the hum of a… how does this guy know Megidolaon? "Die!" The explosion of the powerful Almighty spell echoed out through… wherever we were… the powerful waves of magic washing over me. "Divinité stupide. That should keep him down for a few hours…"

I woke up from my nap with a raised eyebrow. I couldn't see anything because it was all dark in the dream, so I wasn't really feeling very queasy or anything… In fact, something about that presence that I at least knew was pressed against the floor wanted me to do over there myself and try to kill him. Whoever that 'deity' was.

"I need a drink." I went downstairs and got some Queen Elizabeth from the fridge.

_13/09/09 Afternoon_

Shuffling. That was what I was hearing all day, and it was probably coming from downstairs. I don't know why… but apparently they didn't want me down there for some time. For what, I don't know.

Well, I get to listen to music. So, I don't mind at all. Combined assorted rock, pop, electronic, metal, video game OSTs and Velvet Room goodness for a few hours? Hell yeah. Right now, listening to 'Electronica in the Velvet Room.' Nameless sure did a great job on this stuff. Nyx and Tartarus were humming along too.

Whoever this Shoji guy was who collaborated with Nameless, I give him a salute. Even though, I'm certain that he's probably dead considering how long it's been since a contractor aside from that Naoki guy and Tatsuya dude I heard about. Those were the only ones that I've heard of. I have to wonder why, but it's nothing important… their journeys are over. Even though somehow my journey has somehow spanned some nine years. I don't get it. From what I know, I think theirs' only lasted for a year or something.

Welp, anyways… "Hey Minato. You're ok to come down now." I nodded at the bluenette who just poked in and went out to follow him. I was itching to find out the reason why I couldn't go down to the lobby but I refrained from asking about this reason since I could just find out once I got down there.

"Surprise!" The girls sans Mitsuru chorused. How did they get Aigis to do it with them…?

"Uh… what's the occasion?" I rubbed my hand against the back of my head. I honestly had no idea why this time. "We can't just bake cakes for you because we want to?" Fuuka asked with a smile.

I had an urge to just back away and run back to my room. I briefly wondered why I felt very frightened all of a sudden. I gathered my courage and stood my ground before I smiled. "Oh, ok." I just remembered why. The dubbed 'food of the gods' because no-one on earth would be able to stand up to the awfulness of Fuuka's cooking.

Until I helped to fix that up. Thankfully. But that was back in the other timeline. I sincerely hope that Yukari, Shinjiro or Mitsuru helped her. Otherwise, I would fear for my life right about now.

Unfortunately, I didn't sense for their SP signatures because I didn't think it would be a good idea with how much pressure Minato was putting on me when he said for me not to come down. That killer intent was pretty impressive. And yes, I was shaking a little bit after that.

"Um…" Fuuka looked to the girls and the guys who were standing behind her. "We just wanted to say…" Hold on. Why is Fuuka leading the conversation? I never would've realised how confident she became in such a short amount of time.

"We're sorry!" Was the general response from the team, with the words changing as they went from person to person. Changing up when Akihiko and Shinjiro apologised. But… ok, I had to play along. "Apologise for what?" I asked. Minato gave me a smirk. I don't really know why though. My awesome acting skills? Kinda doubt it, but it's a possibility.

"It's just that…" Fuuka started. "We're sorry for avoiding you for the past few days." Yukari finished off with a sheepish smile. "Yeah… we were kinda being di—" Shinjiro began, but Mitsuru glared at him before he could finish that sentence.

I laughed a little bit. Nowhere near as happy as I could be, but still… considering how I was two days ago… yeah. "It's ok. So… who wants cake?" I asked as I looked around. "Yeah! Let's eat!" Yukari shouted.

That cake was a chocolate mud cake. Portal.

_18/09/09 After School_

Hm. It's raining. Really hard. "Hey! Are you ok?" A guy about my age approached me. He had black hair, green eyes with a mix of hazel, and wore a black leather jacket with fur at the collar area and dark brown jeans with black shoes accented with green. Oh yeah, he was holding an umbrella.

"Um, I guess I should be…" I replied back to black haired guy. Why does he seem so familiar? And looking at him again… he has a Persona. An extremely powerful Persona. "I insist!" he grinned. "By the way, my name's Richard. I would tell you the rest of my name, but it's kinda long." He chuckled. That sounds very, very familiar. Not only his voice, but his name and appearance... Now, if only he spoke French. And we're speaking in English right now.

"Ok… my name's Yuki Makoto." I replied. "By the way, do you know what a Persona is?" I asked bluntly. His eyes widened before smiling. "You have one too, don't you!?" He asked excitedly. "Yeah. I do. So… you wouldn't be surprised if I teleported back to my house just now if you wanted to meet a whole other bunch of Persona users?" I asked curiously.

"No problem. Except… can you take my motorcycle with you?" He asked, almost pleadingly. I chuckled at that. "No prob. I have mine to take care of too anyways." He held out his umbrella umbrella for me to walk under while I made my way to the motorcycles that were hooked just outside the school gates at the bike stands.

Taking us both back to the dorms, we quickly hooked our motorcycles and sprinted back in. "We should do that more often!" Richard shouted excitedly. "Maybe, but I doubt we're going to get a good chance because of the rain. I've no desire to get wet." I replied with a small smile as I brushed off some more water off me.

Minato burst into the lobby, soaking wet and freezing. "Oh Orpheus that stuff is cold…" He staggered into the warmth of the heater and stood by it for some minutes, during which time Richard and I talked. "Orpheus?" He asked. "As in the musician?"

"Yup. He does that every so often. Besides, his main Persona is Orpheus." He smiled at that. "You mean he has more?" I nodded. "Yeah… being the Fool and all. He can do that." I explained. "Oh COOL. I have the Universe under my belt, so I can summon a few different Personae." He slipped into Japanese.

"Wait… He has the UNIVERSE!?" Minato shouted. "You have the Universe?" I asked civilly, especially when compared to the shivering bluenette. "Yup! My main Persona is called Lycanos." Also sounds very familiar. Why can't I remember!? "Oh. I have the Universe Arcana too. How did you get yours though?"

"Funny, but it's just my natural Arcana. It's really strange." No way. "How did you get yours then?" I shrugged. "After becoming friends with a lot of people." I explained, but it was only the short version. "Oh that's cool! Friends are important, huh?" I grinned. "Yeah… they are." Mitsuru came down from the stairs.

"Ah hello. Who is our guest, Makoto?" She asked with a small smile. And… whoa. Her face is tinted pink. Well… maybe I will be able to get out of that I suppose. "His name's Richard, and yeah… he's another Persona user." I swear that Richard's green eyes started sparkling. "My name is Richard Amadeus Rightmire, mon cher. S'il vous plaît grâce me avec votre nom belle femme…" That is some damned nice sweet talking.

Mitsuru started blushing even more. "Ah… my name is Kirijo Mitsuru… merci…" Richard using an Ice spell formed a rose made of ice in his fingers. "I see, mon cher. Please take this as a token of my gratitude." The ice flower landed in the middle of Mitsuru's palm, and as she realised what flower it was she started blushing profusely.

"Ah, um… It's no problem… Please follow me…" She turned quickly and Richard followed up after her, still entranced by Mitsuru's beauty. "Looks like I'm free again." I chuckled to myself. "Oh yeah… that's good." Minato seemed considerably warmed up by the heater by the fact that he wasn't shivering anymore.

"Do you think they'll go good together?" The bluenette inquired. "I think so. Besides… if this guy is who I think he is right now… he'll definitely be able to get her." The azure haired Fool blinked once or twice. "What makes you think that?"

"I remember who this guy is now. He's the one who taught me about those awesome pick-up lines back in my world. They're what I used to charm Mitsuru every so often." I explained. "Are you serious!?" My blue haired otouto shouted. Not long after that, he muttered something about having too many fan girls for his own good.

"You got that right." I grinned. "Especially if he's planning to attend our school after he joins up with us."

"Whoo!" An excited outburst from Richard - which also sounded strangely like a wolf - came down from the upper floors. "No, Richard-kun, can't you use the stairs!?" Mitsuru's distressed voice echoed out through the dorm. I wonder how he got onto terms like that with Mitsuru already.

A black blur appeared from the ceiling, landing perfectly without even so much as a crater on the ground. Crazy. "Yeah, part of SEES, woohoo!" He's really, really happy. Like… almost full of energy like Junpei happy… times two! "Whoa! What the heck was that?" Said capped teen's voice became clearer as he made his way down the stairs.

Junpei's eyes widened as his gaze reached Richard's back. He ran down the stairs and looked at him curiously. "Dude. Name's Junpei Iori. But just call me Junpei." He introduced himself with that trademark grin.

Richard turned around to face the thrice-great Magician. "Cool! My name's Richard Amadeus Rightmire. But I think it would be best if you called me Richard." He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, that's pretty long." Junpei nodded seriously. "That's what I said."

"Damn senpai! You always know who to pick to join our team!" I rubbed the back of my head as well and chuckled. "I think I'm just lucky."

"No need to be so modest senpai! Admit it, you're awesome!" Junpei grinned. "If you say so Junpei. I think we should get the others to meet up with Richard soon." I turned to the flustered ice mistress who just came down from the stairs. "Uh… yes. We should." She answered, but not before glaring at the sheepish Universe wielder. She turned heel and went upstairs again.

"It would be best if you didn't put yourself in harm's way when she's around." The green eyed Persona user asked, "How do you know?" I shrugged. "I used to be her boyfriend." I grinned at Richard. "You did!? I'm sorry!" He practically begged for forgiveness.

"It's fine. If that girl wants to go for another guy, it's fine with me." I smiled. Huh, Junpei went back up too. "Why's that?" Richard moved over to the couch. "Oh right, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Arisato Minato." The bluenette explained before ascending the stairs.

"Weird way to cut in…" Richard mused. "No it isn't. That's actually pretty important." I sat down on the couch next to him. "How?" He asked bluntly. "My name… it's Arisato Minato."

"Huh? But that guy…?" I sighed. "Yes, that is that reason why we look so similar." His eyebrow rose. "Well… ok that works but I was going to say that's why both of the Personae that you have look almost the same, but continue." He noticed that first before our appearance? Ok… "Truth is… I'm from another timeline." I revealed.

"Wait, what?" Now, he was confuzzled. "What I said." I deadpanned at him. "So… you're really from an alternate timeline, with alternate versions of everyone and shit?" He stared at me, still in disbelief but who can blame someone who just found out that one of the people you just met is a time traveller?

"Ooh! How was I in the alternate timeline!?" He asked. "You were the one who taught me those smooth pick-up lines of yours." I gave him a blank expression. "Did they work?" I sighed before nodding. "Yeah, I'm the master!" He grinned. But seriously, first thing he asks after finding out that I'm a time traveller is what he was like in the alternate timeline?

"Oh before we go on any further… can you promise that you won't tell anyone about this? I'm planning on telling everybody here about this, so please?" He nodded seriously within a few seconds of hearing my request. "Thank you. Now, I'll tell you all about some of the stuff I've been through after we go to one of the spare rooms. Think we'll need it."

He nodded happily and followed me up the stairs.

_Evening_

After talking for a while about things like how our friends were like and stuff… we eventually stumbled onto the topic of our pasts. Richard seemed all too glad to start telling about his experiences, along with telling me that he used to live in America. But even I could tell from the way he worded everything that he was leaving things out.

Might as well go honest with him. "Ok… ten years ago on the Moonlight Bridge. That was when it all started." I began weaving the beginning of a tapestry to a still unfinished tale.

"Back then, was when Death attacked everyone on the bridge, killing both of my parents and leaving only my sister and I." You know what… I'm going to test out my illusions.

The image of that black monster appeared in the air, almost like an interface to a futuristic monitor. "Whoa…" My eyebrow twitched as I changed the image to me getting my arm cut off. "Whoa, dude!" Richard held his hands up in a defensive position. "Anyways… after getting my arm so kindly cut off by Death incarnate he was sealed inside me. Up until now, he's always been helping me out as one of my Personae." I dispelled the illusion.

**Yeah…? I'm not really liking him for some reason, Minato… **Why's that Thanatos? **I'm just getting off this bad vibe from him. Like, I really want to run. **Uh… ok? "After that my sister and I were adopted by this woman… she taught me everything I know about Fusion and fighting Shadows with Personae." I remembered with a smile.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about where this is going?" Richard asked with a dark expression. I sighed. "After a few years of staying with my 'okaa-san' she was attacked. By a bunch of thugs." I slumped back into my chair.

He stayed silent, but a pained expression was flashing across his face. He's not very good at hiding his emotions is he? "Angry at them… I summoned my Persona and killed all of them." I replied simply. "What." He stared at me.

"Wouldn't you do the same if someone attacked your loved ones?" I glared back at the Universe wielder. He flinched, but sighed out, "Yeah… I probably would." I nodded slightly.

"Except… I took my anger too far and ran from home, killing as much of the criminal population as I could." Clenching my fists in anger at my stupidity, it felt like I was squeezing out the victim's blood from between my fingers, oozing it out onto the floor. Richard was silent once more, but he seemed to have about the same expression that I had after I realised how much of an idiot I was being.

It was that same grimace that I wore when I tried to make my failed excuses of smiles to everyone around me. That crease in his brow that was the same as the folds that marred my visage for a few days as I kept crying every day as I kept blaming myself for okaa-san's death.

"When I came back home… I found out that my okaa-san died while I was gone." I pulled as best a poker face as I could. Ugh… what is it now? I've got a really huge headache… "Are you serious?" He asked, gritting his teeth and revealing his slightly sharpened fangs. Almost like… a wolf. Why are wolves everywhere, anyways? This is so weird, and it's making my head hurt even more.

"Um… are you ok? You don't look your best." Richard asked in a concerned tone. "Probably not…" I answered honestly. "I've got a bit of a headache…" His eyebrow rose before his hand made its way up to my forehead. "Dude. You've got one nasty fever. Maybe you should rest or something."

I would've protested, but… the prospect of sleep was calling me into Hypnos' clutches. Yeah, I'm going to go to sleep. "Yup, I probably should."

_19/09/09 Morning_

Oh Thanatos, I feel awful. Even after all that sleep… I sighed as I went down to get a glass of water. "Hey dude!" Richard greeted with a smile. "Hey senpai." Minato nodded. "Hey guys…" Wait. How is Minato not sick? He got caught in the rain longer than I did, so why? Curses!

"How're you feeling?" Richard asked with a small grimace. "Ah. I feel like I got run over by a truck." Minato muttered under his breath about how I the heck I knew what getting hit with a truck even felt like. "Before you ask, yes I have." I waved the memory off nonchalantly. "All fixed up with a Diarahan, but it hurt like shit." I let out a small yawn.

"Oh. You get into a lot of trouble, you know that?" Minato deadpanned. "Yeah, I do. Now… I want my water…" I walked over to the fridge and grabbed myself a bottle of water.

"So… how's it going with Mitsuru?" Richard rubbed the back of his head. "Ah. I apologised, so we're good now. Though… I'm not sure what she means by execution…" Minato and I shivered almost simultaneously. "Oh. Our best advice would be not to get her angry." The temperature dropped in the room several degrees.

"Basically… she'll try to freeze you to death." I explained. "Oh. I see." He muttered something after that, though I couldn't really make it out. But it had something to do with fire… and it was in a half-relieved and a half-anger filled tone.

Intense pain was reflecting in his eyes, and it was all too similar to the look that I saw reflected in the mirror when I through my cyan eyes when I was younger… Whatever happened to him… it must have hurt him a lot. "Well, I'm going back to my room. See ya." I waved back to the duo.

"See ya later when you feel better senpai." Minato smiled back along with Richard.

Strangely enough I was getting this vibe that the smile that the black haired universe wielder was donning was… fake. Perhaps it was in the fact that he was probably forcing it when he was thinking about something painful.

I shook my head out of my thoughts before crashing onto my bed shutting out all further thoughts. Oh right. I think I remember him from that dream that I had… Weird. Why would he…?

Going to sleep…

Again pained screams were filling my head and it wasn't leaving out any details of the people that were shrieking out in pain. More specifically… I could make out the muffled cries of two in particular. A little girl and a boy…

"No! Fuck… what the hell did I do!?" A familiar voice called out in complete anguish. It was… it was Richard's voice! "No…" He repeated those words over and over again until I couldn't hear them anymore. I could finally make out the sound that was covering up some more of the voices. Flickering fire. Raging flames.

Is that why he muttered that earlier?

"PERSONA!" In all fury Richard's slightly higher voice called on those words, and with a slight shattering of glass a howl sounded throughout the area. "Lycanos! You have to save them!"

**"As you wish." **The deep voice responded before a whooshing sound echoed out. That sounded… especially like the voice that was whimpering in pain in the earlier dream.

After many moments of what sounded like breaking wood and bricks the sounds stopped and another sound of what sounded like breaking through harsh wind currents silence fell before the scene that played out.

Muffled sobs came through the area before they stopped. "I… won't let this happen again… ever." The deeper voice of who I assumed to be his Persona, Lycanos spoke. **"Together… right?" **

"Yeah… We have to…" Richard continued. "Never again will I lose someone like this…" His voice was spoken through with anguish and hardened resolve, and that was the last thing that I heard before I faded out of the dream.

_20/09/09 Morning_

Well… I was feeling a little better. I guess. I took a swig from the bottle, letting the cooling water run down my throat. What happened to you Richard? I can only guess… but… Yeah. It's only a guess.

I rubbed my eyes before taking a long shower. Lycanos… Sounds very familiar, I mused as the warm water continued to pound down on my flesh. **_Lycanos… _**Have you any thoughts Nyx? **_I think I know who that is. _**Who is he? **_He was praised as the ultimate warrior… his body covered in black fur, humanoid with werewolf-like legs and hands… He wields a scythe, stained red and gold from the many enemies he has defeated._**

Sounds like Richard's resolve. **_It does seem like that… Yes. _**He's a mysterious one, isn't he? **_Yes. I don't know much more than that. _**Every bit is useful. **_You're going to try and fix him up too, aren't you? _**Yeah. **_You don't have to do that though. _**Sure. I know. But… I'm the kind of person that can't stand to see people in need.

**_Even though you're usually that has the short end of the stick?_** Sure. That just makes me want to make sure that they don't end up like me or even worse. **_Yeah? But… something about that Richard kid is telling me that the way he's been dealing with his situation is even worse than the way you did it. _**Really…? The way I tried was horrible. What are you saying?

**_Maybe… Ugh. You should try to find out for yourself. Right? _**Very true. Very true. Nyx's presence disappeared from my mind. Welp, I still don't feel so good. I'm going back to sleep. After I get breakfast.

_Afternoon_

WHOO! I love you Hypnos! Well… most of the time. Nyx chuckled a little bit at my outburst. I went downstairs, feeling a whole lot better. "Oh hey senpai! How're you feeling?" Yukari asked with a smile. "A lot better." I let out a small yawn, still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"Oh that's good. And… have you met the new guy already?" I nodded with a grin. "Yeah… I was the one who found him. Actually… now that I think about it… almost all of our newest additions to our team were found by me…" I rubbed the back of my head.

"Oh really? You sure know how to pick 'em senpai." He giggled a little bit. "No kidding." Mitsuru's more exasperated voice came out from the couch section of the lobby. "Sometimes he's so incorrigible… Reminds me of another certain blue-haired Persona user." A playful smile graced her lips, and I rolled my eyes in the same manner.

"Yes, yes. I'm sure." I waved off her comment before looking around for something to eat. Instant… ramen. Um… I think I'll stick with the karaage. I mean it, that stuff is yummy. They're like… better chicken nuggets. With fifty percent more awesome.

"Yo Makoto!" Richard's voice came from behind me. "Hey Richard." I smiled at the black haired Persona user. "So, I take it you're feeling better?" I nodded. "No cold's gonna keep me down forever." I grinned. "Heck yeah."

From the corner of my ears, I think Mitsuru and Yukari were talking about how well we got along with each other… Well duh. He's the guy who taught me pick-up lines. Even if it was in a different timeline.

"Bonjour my belle Mitsuru." Case in point. "Uh… yes. Hello." Mitsuru stuttered. Man… Richard's good at this. Yukari rolled her eyes, but giggled at his antics all the same. "Well… unfortunately because of the typhoon that is going on we can't go to Tartarus even though you're feeling better." Mitsuru explained.

"Aw. I wanted to see tower-chan." Richard whined. Tartarus… he just called you tower…chan… **_Wait WHAT!? _**I was knocked back a little from the force, but… somehow I still managed to stay on my feet. Yes. I'm serious. **_Of all the impudent… _**Tartarus… why would you care? **_Because… calling me by a girl's honorific is demeaning! And my tower is not supposed to be considered cute. _**

Welp, now it has been. By the other 'wild card' in the room. Tartarus huffed before his presence faded away. "Yeah… I don't really want to get stuck in bloody rain once we get to the Dark Hour." I waved it off. "Not really my desire." I shrugged it off before taking a bite from one of the karaage pieces.

"Ew… senpai." Yukari recoiled from the statement I was making. Don't we all just love the water for turning into blood when the Dark Hour strikes? Nah. Not really. It only helped one time. "That is why… we're not going out, right?" I turned with a grin to everyone in the room.

"Well of course!" Mitsuru exclaimed. "That and the washing up would be terrible." Richard tried to add his two cents into the conversation.

I think everyone, at that moment, had the urge to slap their heads in unison.

* * *

AN: Whew. Thankfully this chapter didn't take as long as the other one… yay. I was busy debating on whether I was going to add my friend's OC in earlier than later, but I figured that I could fit this all in for an arc to fix up Richard's problems. Speaking of which… I'd like to think that I got it as close as I could to his OC and outward personality as possible. For now.

Sorry if that turned out to be a cliff hanger… I didn't really intend it to be one. I hate them a lot too. Welp, hope you enjoyed that stuff at the end. I was debating whether I should do it, but… I figured that having some more character development would be good.

Plz review, and no flames!


	21. The High Road

_21/09/09 Dark Hour_

"What level are you on?" I asked Richard as we walked through the gates of Tartarus. "Oh! I'm on level 100!" I blinked once or twice upon hearing his answer. That was only ten levels lower than mine… "I see." I nodded to myself. The one thing that got me out of the thought that it was only a matter of time before he could get stronger than me was that the surges in energy that you got when you levelled up beyond the limit was that they got progressively bigger.

The power jump that I got when I reached level 99 was so huge, and I was pleasantly surprised. "Why?" He asked with a questioning gaze. "I was just thinking that I should get to training too." I made a smile back at him, passing through the doors that led into the prison of Tartarus.

"What level are you on?" The tone he used was a mix between anger and excitement. "Like… 111-ish." He eyes widened as he heard, and he gritted his teeth with a low growl. "So…" His tone was struggling to stay more jovial, but I could tell that he was angry now. "There's still someone stronger than me." He shook his head.

"You've got until January thirty-first to get stronger." He nodded slightly. I thought for a moment, his eyes flashed a gold colour before they turned to normal. The effect was near instantaneous, rather than the progressive colour change that occurred in Minato's eyes before. "The Fall huh?" He muttered under his breath.

"Yeah." I whispered. Don't worry… I've got one more try… I keep on consoling myself with those words. Thankfully I don't feel as bad… but it still hurts to know that all this happened because I hesitated of all things before killing Nyx. Why did I even hesitate anyway? It's a huge mystery to me.

"Well, since that's the case… we should go into the Monad Block. The highest level Shadows that we've found are all in there." I tapped my foot two times to change the dreary music that was playing to this song called 'Diver.' This song is really cool, and it always fills me with some kind of determination.

"What just happened to the music?" Richard looked around. "Oh. That was the Reaper." Minato explained. "Who's the Reaper?" Richard asked again. "I dunno. He's a mystery to us all. But he's a pretty nice guy." The bluenette shrugged. "Really?" Richard mused with a low and dangerous tone.

How comforting to know that I'M actually the one he's going to direct his anger at. "Yeah. He is pretty powerful… No-one's been able to defeat him here." I explained some more. "Is that so…?" He his thoughtful look was soon changed to one that instilled fear as he bared his canines in a grin and his eyes narrowed to look like that of a voracious wolf. Richard chuckled darkly and quietly, and that look and tone was lost to all the members that stood around him getting prepared except for me.

Something is definitely wrong with him… I mused. I was broken out of my thoughts in favour of the call that Minato was giving to Richard and I. Not to mention Ken. "Is he really part of group?" Richard whispered to me. "Yeah." I nodded.

"Huh." Richard looked longingly at Ken. For what reason he did look at the young Justice wielder was unknown to me, but I had reason to believe that it had something to do with that dream that I had. It just seemed to fit in with this whole situation.

"Let's go." I nodded to Richard who nodded back with a grin in return. "Mmhm."

I was surprised by how strong our Justice wielder was growing. Maybe if his height grew with his skill! That would be the most awesome thing he could ask for. Or… he could just wait until his growth spurt. That works too.

I chuckled to myself as he pierced through another Shadow with his dynamic spinning and jumping techniques. Seriously… where did he learn that? I really would like to know. Ah well. Actually now that I think about it… Richard's weapon isn't something I would have expected.

His scythe was pitch black, with the sharp edge being a slightly lighter shade of that ebony colour. Not only was the scythe dark coloured, the blade was stained red and gold from what looked like Ichor and blood stains. I suppose that if he had been fighting Shadows before… the black liquid of Shadow Ichor wouldn't really show up on the scythe.

Reaching the next floor, I subtly tapped my foot a few times, changing the properties of the floor to have more Shadows, but an easier path. It would be the only way for me to see Richard's skill.

"Whoa! That's… that's a lot of Shadows." Minato threw a subtle glare at me to which I answered with a nudge of my head to Richard's direction. His look softened to one of understanding before he sighed and tried to make his way through the labyrinth. "Just some more stuff for me to cut down." Richard grinned.

Ken stared up at the black-haired scythe wielder with interest and a grin, who in return, looked down at Ken with a small smile that threatened to turn into a grimace. Well, more information to add to the pile I suppose.

Wandering down the corridor was pretty quiet, until the swarm of Shadows that had amassed on the floor came crawling towards us and somehow managed to surround us. I don't know how, but they were really quick. It was like a Sukukaja had been casted on them…

"Hah. Just my kind of game." Richard grinned as he gripped his scythe tightly with one hand, and forming a shadowy shroud with his other one, creating dark claws like the technique that Ray used to attack.

I drew my swords calmly merely swiping at the incoming Shadows that came at me. Minato did the same, only with a lot more ferocity. Ken… he likes poking them. Richard was swinging his scythe to cut down large hordes of Shadows like wheat in a field, slashing at the ones that he missed with his shadow claws.

He was efficient to say the least. There's only one thing to say here, and that is that it's unlikely that he needs his Persona for a lot of things, like me. And… he's plenty strong. I smirked to myself as the last of the Shadows were cut down.

"Was that supposed to be a challenge?" Richard asked with a smirk. "Not really." I sighed, with a bored tone. Minato deadpanned at the both of us before leading us to the next set of stairs.

_23/09/09 Morning_

"Yo!" Richard smiled at me when I came down to the lobby. "Hey. Watcha got there?" I was able to catch a glimpse of two slips of paper waving in his hand. "Oh! I've been looking for someone to go watch with me. But… no-one's been interested yet." Or you mean that you wake up too late for your own good.

"I'll bite. Film festival today isn't it?" Richard nodded with a grin. "Let's go in a little bit." He suggested.

_Afternoon_

"That movie was fun!" Richard grinned. "Yeah. It was pretty entertaining." I added. "Hell yeah! Ferris was so funny." The black haired Universe wielder chuckled. I couldn't help but laugh along with Richard's contagious chuckle. He can be happy when he wants to I guess.

"You up for karaoke?" I suggested. "Oh ok!" He beamed happily.

We quickly made our way to Mandragora, and as I thought… it was pretty packed. "How are going to get in?" Richard wondered. "I wasn't thinking of going here." His eyebrow rose as he mulled over what I could possibly mean.

I quickly looked around for any signs of a crowd before leading him to the alcove that was buried under Mandragora and opening up the Velvet Room door. Not that he knew what I was doing. "Um… huh?"

I grinned as I pulled him into the blue room and he yelped a little out of surprise. "Whoa…" Richard looked around the rift between planes with a curious glint in his eyes. "Come on!" I grabbed his wrist and walked over to the lilac door that led to the Concert Hall.

Faint sounds of metal clanging and music were chorusing from the gold and cream room, and we were left to wonder who could be making that noise. "Rarrgh!" It sounded kinda like Minato… "Impressive so far." Eli-chan's voice echoed from the hall with a silky smooth tone.

"I'm not done!" Richard and I walked into the main hall to find… Elizabeth and Minato fighting. "Oh I think you are." A mysterious gleam of light appeared in her golden eyes, and "Holy crap, get down!" I pulled Richard down before she released the light of a purple and gold Megidolaon.

A pained growl erupted from Minato's throat as he struggled to stay standing under the waves of Almighty magic that were washing over him. "Argh!" He fell onto the floor as he could no longer stand up to the powerful spell. Once the Almighty magic dissipated Minato let out a huge 'dammit' before healing himself with a Diarahan.

"Oh. Hi guys." The bluenette rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hi Minato." I waved to him and threw a happy expression over in Eli-chan's direction. "Ah hello Minato." She giggled. "Yo Minato!" Richard greeted with a smile.

"Yup." Minato struggled to get onto his feet. Once he regained his balance, he dusted himself off. "I'm going to beat you sometime." Minato pouted at Eli-chan who only burst out into more laughter. "Tell me when you can defeat the Reaper!" Elizabeth broke into an even bigger fit of laughter.

Minato threw a questioning glance in my direction, but I shook my head no. Nevertheless, a tic mark grew on the bluenette's forehead before he calmed himself down with a silent spell. "So… what are you guys doing here?" Minato asked.

"Well, I was thinking of doing some singing here since Mandragora's full up…" I explained. "Oh?" Minato tilted his head. Haha! That was actually kinda cute. "Can we join?" The bluenette asked. "Why not?" I grinned at Richard who nodded vigorously.

"You're singing too Eli-chan." I smirked at the avatar of power who merely smiled back with a nod. "Of course, Minato," She bowed and a microphone appeared at the stand in the middle. "Let us begin." Looking much like an elevator attendant in that pose aren't you?

"I'll start." Minato grinned at us before he made his way up to the stage and picked up the microphone off its stand. A hard hitting beat and electric guitar started up, back-up guitar in the background.

'Live and Learn' was the song that he sang, quite passionately too. Whatever is going through his head… It just seems that he's pretty determined and he's ready to do what the fate of the world takes.

I chuckled to myself as Elizabeth made her way onto the stage. I just knew that her performance was going to be nothing short of spectacular. From the times I've seen her practice… it was about as beautiful as Minako's singing.

Ethereal electric sounds started up, and a soft guitar playing a series of notes in an ostinato for the intro also joined in.

'Human' was the name of the pop song that played, and you'd never guess that this song was a pop song without knowing what the artist actually stuck to. It always sounded more like electronic to me instead. Still…

I blinked once or twice at her song. I knew that song, since this was from Minako's repertoire, not that I ever heard her sing this song this often. I wonder if Eli-chan has thought of going out into the outside world with Minato yet… He should if he hasn't already. I'm getting this vibe that she's really lonely.

"Whoa…" Minato let out, stunned at her voice. "That was… awesome." The bluenette breathed out. "Thank you Minato-kun," Eli-chan smiled. "I've been waiting for something like this, since it has been a long time since Minato has visited for a session."

That hit a pang of guilt. I really haven't been visiting the Velvet Room that often… I sighed. "Sorry…" I muttered under my breath. I can't believe I forgot something like this of all things! The people that took care of me in my time of need, and I leave the like this? I shook my head slightly before noticing that wolf boy made his way up to the stage already.

"So what, I just think of a song and it'll start playing the background music?" Richard looked curiously at the microphone. "Yup, that's how it works." Minato confirmed.

"Ooh, cool." The universe wielder wolf whistled in admiration before clearing his throat. And the dark electric guitar solo clued me in to what this song was…

_I never thought I'd feel this  
Guilty and I'm broken down inside  
Livin' with myself  
Nothing but lies_

I always thought I'd make it  
But never knew I'd let it get so bad  
Livin' with myself  
Is all I have

I feel numb  
I can't come to life  
I feel like I'm frozen in time

Livin' in a world so cold  
Wasting away  
Livin' in a shell with no soul  
Since you've gone away  
Livin' in a world so cold  
Counting the days  
Since you've gone away  
You've gone away

Do you ever feel me  
Do you ever look deep down inside  
Starin' at yourself  
Paralyzed

I feel numb  
I can't come to life  
I feel like I'm frozen in time

Livin' in a world so cold  
Wasting away  
Livin' in a shell with no soul  
Since you've gone away  
Livin' in a world so cold  
Counting the days  
Since you've gone away  
You've gone away from me

I'm too young to lose my soul  
I'm too young to feel this old  
For so long I'm left behind  
I feel like I'm losing my mind

Do you ever feel me  
Do you ever look deep down inside  
Starin' at your life  
Paralyzed

Livin' in a world so cold  
Wasting away  
Livin' in a shell with no soul  
Since you've gone away  
Livin' in a world so cold  
Counting the days  
Since you've gone away  
You've gone away from me

I'm too young  
I'm too young

… That's… that's depressing. I knew this song, but I never sang it. For a good reason. This song is really dark. Just like its name. It just reminds me of the times when I got back home after my… episode, I suppose. "How was that?" Richard asked with a wolf-like grin. Minato nodded dumbly, probably for the same reasons as me. But that aside, "You were good..." I drew a small smile.

I made my way up to the microphone, snapping my fingers once I got up there. "Oh, dammit I should have thought of that!" Minato cursed multiple times before being settled by the golden eyed avatar of power. I shrugged before slipping the guitar over my head.

_Hikarabita kotoba wo tsunaide  
Soredemo boku no shinpuru na  
Omoi wo tsutaetai dakenano  
Fukinukeru kusunda ano hi no kaze wa  
Kinou no haikyo ni uchisutete_

Kimi to warau ima wo ikirunoda

Soredemo kono dekigotoga kimi wo kurushimeru daro  
Dakarakoso sayonara nanda

Konomama nani mo nokorazu ni  
Anatato wakachi audake  
Yagate bokurawa sorega subetedato kigatsuite  
Kanashimi ga hoho wo tsutatte  
Namida no kawa ni narudake  
Yureru omoiwa tsuyoi uzu ni natte  
Tokeaunoyo

Iradachitoka tsukoshi no kodoku datokawa  
Ittai sorega boku nado nitodde  
Nandattendaro?  
Ima wa dorama no nakajanaindase  
"mou doudai?"  
Sono koe ni bokura furikaitsumo  
Dawamo inaidaro?

Dakara koso bokura takaraka ni sakebunoda

Sore demo bokura no koe wa dokonimo todokanai daro  
Dakarakoso sayonara nanda

Soshite mata toki wa nagarete  
Anatato wakachi audake  
Yagate bokurawa sorega subetedato kigatsuite  
Kanashimi ga hoho wo tsutatte  
Hitotsujino uta ni narudake  
Yureru omoiwa tsuyoi uzu ni natte  
Tokeaunoyo tokeaunoyo

Fukinukeru kusunda ano hi no kaze wa  
Oh Yeah  
Kinou no haigyo ni urasutete Oh Yeah

Konomama nani mo nokorazu ni  
Anatato wakachi audake  
Soshite anata wa ima ga subetedato kigatsuite  
Kanashimi ga hoho wo tsutatte  
Namida no kawa ni narudake  
Soshite bokurawa awai umi ni natte  
Tokeaunoyo  
Tokeaunoyo  
Tokeaunoyo

Yagate bukurawa sorega subetedato kigatsuite  
Yagate bukurawa kanashimi ga hoho wo tsutau kotowo oboete  
Yagate bukurawa yagate bukurawa  
Anatagata to tokeau wake desu yo  
Tokeau wake desu

"You never cease to amaze me, Minato." Elizabeth smiled. "You're good as always." Minato stated with a smile. "Were you always this good?" Richard asked with a grin. "I needed to," I answered simply, "But, I think I've at least gotten better from when I was a kid." I grinned back.

We all sang for another few hours, or no time at all, depending on how you look at it.

_24/09/09 Morning_

Richard came with us to school. In the school uniform. There was only one thing going through my mind. What class is he going to be in?

Mitsuru, Aki and Shinji were sharing the same sentiments. "Alright class! Today we have a new transfer student joining us today," Miss Ounishi explained, "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

I just realised how weird he looks without his jacket and… everything else. There was one thing however that I didn't remember seeing on Richard either of the times that I met up with him. A necklace with a lavender chain with a gold tint hung around his neck. The chain was holding what looked like a small, black heart-shaped gem.

Whatever it was… it was emitting some kind of power. When I concentrated on him, I could see black chains surrounding him, locking something away. "Yo! My name's Richard Rightmire, but you can just call me Richard." He grinned.

"Thank you Richard-san. Please take a seat." Wait. How was this class not filled up yet? I'll never understand… He nodded and sat down in the empty seat next to me with a very slight smile. There was one thing I could tell through the lesson as he sat.

He wasn't paying much attention to the class, and was looking more at his necklace instead. He kept on fingering it in his hand, as if he were trying to get it warm. No… I don't think he was paying attention at all. His gaze was solely fixated on that gem.

_Evening_

Throughout the day, I was pretty sure that there was going to be at least a tenth of his attention still on that necklace, even when someone was talking to him. I was thinking about asking about it… but something told me that I really didn't want to unless I wanted to die. At this current moment… I had no desire for that…

I don't know how the other guys in the dorm weren't able to hear him, but I swear I heard sobs coming from his room, almost non-stop. Maybe I was able to better hear him just because my room was right next to his, and because I'm so used to listening for tiny sounds in songs that I like.

After a while, I thought I heard faint tinkling that reminded me of when someone used a Bufudyne spell. Oddly enough, Richard's whimpers stopped once I heard that tinkling noise. After a while, the cracking effect of the ice echoed, and I heard Richard again, not crying anymore, but panting as if from exhaustion.

I had a sneaking suspicion as to what he was doing, but I still wasn't sure. I guess I'll just have to observe him some more.

There was one thing that I got out of Richard's gasps for air: Sally.

_04/10/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

"Uh, what's going on?" Richard asked as he pulled his jacket on. Right. He doesn't know what happens on full moons yet. "On full moon nights, especially powerful Shadows appear. They usually appear out of the Dark Hour." Minato explained.

"Oh… I see." Richard mulled it over before I saw his face twist into a devious expression with a wolf-like grin and narrowed eyes. As his face returned to normal, I saw him clutch the necklace that was wearing with a grip that looked like it should have crushed the stone.

"There are two of them! They're at the Iwatodai Strip Mall." Fuuka informed us as her Persona dissipated. "It's time to kick some ass!" Junpei cheered, and Akihiko seemed to agree with the capped teen for once. "Mmhm." Shinjiro just nodded with a small smile.

Mitsuru spoke up. "Well team, we have our objective. Go!"

Oh yeah… I remember these bosses. I dropped my motorcycle down at the bike stands, when Richard asked me, "How'd you get your bike to work in the Dark Hour?"

"Oh. It's Persona powered." I explained briefly. He nodded seriously before half-turning his attention to the debriefing of the mission. Minato picked Richard, Junpei and Akihiko to come as the team. I tagged along too, since… tag teaming with that bluenette is just the best thing.

As before, the Strength and Fortune Arcane Shadows were waiting for us in the middle of the mall. "We better spread out." Minato stated. Everyone nodded and began to surround the two Shadows.

"Makoto what's the story with these two?" The cobalt haired leader asked. "The Strength specialises in Physical Attacks. The Fortune will be covered with a force field, but it may spin and cause shit to happen while you're fighting." I explained.

"Is that so…?" Minato nodded to himself before commanding an attack on the Strength Shadow.

Junpei and Akihiko were tag teaming the Shadow, Junpei with an Agidyne covering his sword and Akihiko with lightning chirping from his fists. They attacked together, leaving bruises and cuts on the… feminine Shadow of Strength. Richard charged in after they had finished their attacks, cutting large arcs into the Shadow with his ebony scythe.

The Fortune Shadow took this time to spin, landing the roulette on… WHAT!?

The effects of the slice made the Strength's injuries seal up. Damned Fortune Shadow… "What the!?" Junpei shouted as he realised that the Strength was back, good as new again, courtesy of the Fortune Shadow.

Before Richard was about to attack the roulette spinner that the golden lion Shadow was perched on started to spin, landing on the Fear status ailment. Shit. Everyone, including Minato and me was afflicted with Fear. The usual hesitation that would be seen in attacks, but something was happening to Richard in particular.

"PERSONA!" As he wracked his head, a wolf warrior appeared in blue mist behind him. **"Master… I didn't think you would call me out so soon." **The scythe wielding werewolf-like warrior smirked. "Yeah? Me neither…" Richard panted.

**"Death's Embrace." **A cold chill turned the moist air frigid, and the Strength Shadow was encased in a ball of compacted ice. Wait…

The ice surrounded the Strength Arcane covered it fully.

That sound is… it's really familiar… The sound that a Bufudyne made…

Ice that tinkled onto the ground like hailstones made a crystal chime-like sound.

The echoing of cracking absolute zero and the ink black Ichor that was spilling out. The shriek of the Shadow that was disappearing in red and black mist almost made me want to cover my ears.

A single icicle speared its way into the Shadow's mask, killing it instantly.

If I know where I think this was leading to…

Why is Richard doing that?

The crashing of glass let me know that the shield that was covering the Fortune Shadow had disappeared. "Let's get the o-other one!" Junpei shouted, a little shaky. Of course… he, Aki, Richard, Minato and I were still affected by Fear.

I searched the depths of my soul and channelled Alilat's power into an Amrita spell. The Fear that was afflicted on us disappeared and everyone returned to normal. "Thanks senpai." Minato winked at me before charging at the golden Shadow with his swords. I wasn't about to let him go alone though.

I caught up to him, and I followed along to the music that the swords were playing, melding together into the song 'Toumei Sekai Datta' from Naruto. What can I say? I like that song.

The Shadow wasn't done yet, but it was still heavily injured by the sword strikes that we two bluenettes just gave it. "Your turn, Junpei, Aki!" I shouted to them.

The duo of fire and lightning grinned before throwing a Gigantic Fist and God's Hand attack at the Shadow, pummelling into the ground, effectively rendering it destroyed.

"Well… that went by pretty quickly." Richard huffed, seemingly not very impressed by the show of power that the two Shadows were giving. Yeah… I doubt that was much of a challenge to that Universe wielder.

_Late Night_

Today… was more draining than usual… After a quick shower and change I was sleeping like a log once my head hit the pillow.

"Hehe, you know how I feel about you." Richard's voice echoed in my mind. I guess... it would be another one of these dreams… "I know. That's why you can have this." A female's voice replied. I assumed it to be someone at least like a childhood friend, or even… there isn't any way to know for sure right now.

"You didn't have to, mon cher." I could almost visualise him grinning as he said that statement. "But I did. That's the important thing." Things went silent for a while before they started talking again.

"Then merci, belle." He chuckled a little before the girl started talking again. "Richie-kun…" The girl giggled. It looks like my second suspicion is becoming more and more favourable. "I love you, Sally…" Richard whispered, while I heard the sounds of what I thought were rustling clothes.

"I love you too… Richard." Sally replied. Why am I seeing these dreams? I just feel like I'm intruding on his past without any permission… **"Oh no you're not. I can assure you of that." **It sounded like Lycanos' voice… The black furred warrior gazed at me calmly with his green eyes. "Why?" The scythe wielder chuckled.

**"I'm the one who's letting you see his memories," **I nodded slowly. I was almost certain that the wolf warrior was going to explain so I kept quiet. **"I see you're smart…" **Lycanos chuckled a little bit once more. **"I'm showing them to you because I believe that..." **The warrior bent down and placed one of his clawed hands on my shoulder. **"You may be the only one who can help him."**

"Am I to believe that you've tried?" Lycanos nodded sadly. **"He's so closed up it's getting very difficult to get through to him, even though I'm technically a part of him." **That's… that's even worse than how I acted after I learned about okaa-san… He must have just shut everything out because he didn't have anyone to turn to… This is probably where we diverge.

I still had family and friends to keep me happy even after losing my parents twice. I still had Minako, and I still had Mitsuru. I even had Aki and Shinji to talk to, even if it was just to keep the bad memories away for a short amount of time. It was just him.

**"Without anyone else, he even started to try killing himself… using my powers nonetheless." **What. How do my assumptions always seem to turn out right when I'm being serious!? He must have been using that spell that he used on the Strength Shadow… on himself. That's what I was hearing!

**"Yes… As a Universe wielder to another… please… you have to help him…" **Lycanos squeezed my shoulder a little tighter. **"If you can do that, I'd forever be in your debt…" **I smirked at the wolf warrior. "I was planning on trying to help him already. But, thanks."

**"Thank you." **Lycanos' grateful smile turned into a grin. What was he smiling about? **"Eheh… I was just thinking about how hot Sally was." **

That lump on his head definitely wasn't caused by me. Mmhm.

_05/10/09 Lunchtime_

"I swear my head just started hurting a lot when I woke up." Richard explained. Not that the team believed him. Yeah. That's what you get Lycanos. "I'm sure Richard." Shinji threw a deadpan expression at the Universe wielder.

"Oh right. Did you guys know that mid-terms are starting next week?" I changed the subject quickly. Richard froze up. "R-r-really?" The black haired Persona user shivered. "Yeah, just thought you should know." I waved off the revelation like it was merely an annoying fly. Well… actually I would say that is quite accurate. It is as annoying as that.

"I hate exams…" Richard muttered.

"Don't we all?" I smirked at the green-eyed Universe wielder. "I guess you just came in at an unlucky time… unless you somehow know the whole curriculum already?" I was half-joking, but it was still a feasible idea. After all, that was the whole reason why I didn't need to study.

"How'd you know?" The Universe wielding teen asked with an incredulous look. I guess we're just alike in a lot more ways than one… "It was just a guess, because you didn't seem worried," I explained. "I'd say the fact that the test is even there is irritating you more."

"Yup." Meanwhile, both Aki and Shinjiro were sitting in on the conversation with disbelieving looks. After all, we did just say that we had no need for studying since we both somehow managed to memorise everything in the school curriculum. I'm not going to question how I was able to remember everything.

_Dark Hour_

Is there by any chance that I could see the memories as well as hear them? **"I was wondering when you were going to ask that." **Lycanos replied with a smirk. Gee, thanks.

**"Love you too," **I sighed before turning my attention to the next memory. **"But are you really sure you want to see?" **Who do you take me for? In all seriousness, I don't really care… I'd rather see everything for how it was than the sugar coated version. **"If you say so."**

Richard looked slightly younger than his age now, give or take two or three years. "What's wrong?" The voice that came out of the girl was in a soft and concerned tone. The girl herself had sapphire blue eyes and shoulder-length auburn hair. The shirt she was wearing was white with a collar, and she wore a grey skirt that went down knee-length. The boots she was wearing were made of leather and were chocolate brown.

"It's just that…" Richard groaned. "I don't really want to talk about it." He ran his hand through his wild hair. "I'm sure it can't be that bad." The raven haired teen sighed. "Maybe it can."

"You can't honestly be that pessimistic can you?" Sally teased.

"But I am," The green eyed teen replied stubbornly. "And I can be."

Sally sighed with a small smile playing on her lips. It was only now that I head noticed her hands were clasped around something, held tightly as if trying to keep whatever was in her palms warm. "Richie… Can you close your eyes?"

Richard gazed at her questioningly until he decided that he would probably find out what it was that she was aiming for after he opened his eyes for her. Sally giggled before opening her grip around what was in her hand, and wrapping it around Richard's neck.

Once he opened his eyes after Sally had said that it was ok to open them he had noticed that there was something warm hanging around his neck. He reached his hand towards it, until he was able to recognise what it was. "Sals, I can't take this…" He looked worriedly at her.

"You can, and you will. Because you're the only one who can take it," She retorted, almost as stubborn as Richard was earlier. "It contains all our best memories inside it, so don't lose it!"

Richard's eyes switched between his new-found necklace and Sally before his lips creased into a smile. "Thank you Sally."

She giggled a little before replying with, "That's better. You look better when you're smiling," She planted a kiss on Richard's cheek that started blushing a little bit from the unexpected contact. "If you're feeling down or sad again… you can look inside for better times… and to remember… I love you."

Richard chuckled. "And you have to remember that I love you too; Don't forget it."

Lycanos… you realise that your comforting words from earlier aren't really working again? **"I had thought as much… But he's not going to just tell you himself…" **The wolf warrior reasoned sadly. It just feels so… wrong to just see his most precious memories like this…

"It's like how… I wouldn't want anyone to intrude on my memories that I have with my loved ones…" Lycanos nodded solemnly. **"I know. After all… I am still a part of Richard."**

Well, did just figure out why he looks after that necklace of his all the time. I still have a long way to go don't I? **"Yeah. Just do your best." **The werewolf warrior encouraged.

_06/10/09 Evening_

"Hey, senpai…" The bluenette's recognisable voice called out to me from my nap about dream bunnies. "Yeah?" I yawned slightly, covering my mouth. I really need some more sleep.

"I need to talk to you about something…" Minato gazed at me seriously. "Uh… ok…" I rubbed my eyes and followed him to his room.

"Would you believe me if I said that Death incarnate has been helping me in battle?" He asked. I nodded lazily. I was wondering when that was going to come up… "Sure… Alice helps me a lot…" Oh right. He mustn't know who Alice is yet.

"Who's Alice?" He questioned curiously. "In my world she's my version of Death." I looked at him with half-lidded eyes. "I guess you have a different part of Death then."

"Yeah… his name's Pharos…" The bluenette nodded. "How did Alice help you in your world?"

"Um… her powers help me scan enemies like Fuuka, but it's more on their abilities than weaknesses and stuff." I explained. "Oh… Pharos helps me by finding weaknesses instead. Not in spells, but just on an enemy's body or something." That's a useful ability…

Hm… "I see… is that it?" I asked tiredly. "Well… I've just been wondering about Richard… Haven't you been doing that too?" The cobalt haired leader asked.

"Yeah… I have." I nodded slowly. "Have you found out anything about him?" Minato asked.

"Sure I have… I've learned…" I sighed. "His past is about as messed up as mine." The bluenette flinched. "That's… how do you know that anyways?"

"His Persona has been showing me his memories when I dream…" And that's why I'm kinda tired. No, I'm really tired and I want to go to bed. "Really? I wonder why he would choose you… Just saying."

I shrugged. "I don't know… Hm." I mulled over my incoming though for a few seconds. That could be a possibility… "Have you tried forming a Social Link with him yet?" I asked.

"I have… but for some reason instead of having a calming aura like most others… it sounds more glass shattering in a car crash than a mind shatter." Minato wondered. "I think I know what the problem is."

The bluenette looked up to me with widened eyes. "He's reversed Universe."

"You can do that!?" Minato's voice was barely keeping under reasonable volume when it came to shouting. "Apparently he's so closed up that he actually reversed his own Arcana…" Thinking about the fact that I could have ended up like him was actually frightening… To be driven to almost eternal despair and anguish if I didn't have friends around me like I did.

It was even more frightening than being in a life and death situation… That isn't a very good comparison… More like, it was even more frightening than entertaining the idea of fighting the most powerful gods all at the same, and that was scary enough.

"So… are we just going to stop him from self-destructing?" I asked somewhat solemnly. "Why would you question something like that?" Minato glared at me.

"I don't even know the real reason why he's like this yet." I shook my head. As much as I wanted to help him… I was now wondering if it was my place to pry into his problems. From the way that I've been looking into his memories in my dreams… "And… why am I helping him anyways? Should we really help him?"

Silence fell around the room, thickening the atmosphere.

A force into my cheek made my face fly to my right. "You are a real idiot, you know that?" I shrugged. "That's old news." I chuckled slightly. "You know what!?"

Minato's furious voice pierced into my ears. "You both are idiots!"

That is very true. "How is it that the two most powerful Persona users that we have in this dorm, are both total fucking idiots!?" The bluenette cursed.

"If his Persona is showing you his memories, he WANTS you to help him! It's clear that he hasn't been able to do anything about it, but now he's asking you to. You should want to help a friend in need! I bet you were thinking that earlier, I can tell!" Minato wasn't losing any of his momentum.

"The other at fault here is clearly an idiot, if he thinks that trying to get himself killed will magically fix everything!" He pointed over in the direction of Richard's room. "That suicidal bastard wants to get rid of his pain, but it obviously hasn't been working from his end. That's old news, but still!"

The bluenette calmed down a little bit and lowered his voice. "The only way for him to get rid of his problem now is you. If from the way you're acting, you refuse to help that idiot and you abandon him…"

"I WON'T ABANDON HIM!" I roared. That last comment made me snap. Though…

"Looks like the onii-san I know is back." Minato smirked.

I sighed. "You got me there." This Fool…I shook my head. It's clear that his intentions are set. I wonder how the wielders of the Universe Arcana, reversed or not became so fucking stupid like he said. It's scarily true in our case…

"Thank you."

"Huh?" Minato blinked once or twice before I explained. "For helping me out, otouto." I smirked at the bluenette. "Uh… well… you're welcome…" He stuttered out.

I ruffled his hair before walking out. Hm…

How good is Richard's hearing?

_17/10/09 After School_

Yay. Mid-terms are over. Now, we wait for the dreaded day of results. Well… actually. I don't care since I'm pretty sure I get at least near perfect results. It would be a big mind fuck for me if Mitsuru, Minato AND Richard somehow get top marks. But that's mostly only if Richard also gets up there.

I don't know what his study habits are, but… Ugh. It's something I can worry about later. Not to mention I just lost my train of thought. I hate it when that happens… Not that it's going to matter much because I'm going to take a nap. I need to catch up on sleep still… Sleep is good, it's awesome and I clearly need to do it more often.

Unless… Lycanos takes it as an opportunity to fill up my head with another memory.

"Catch me if you can!" Richard's voice called back cheekily to whatever was chasing him. Damn you Lycanos.

His voice was a lot higher pitched, and he was dressed differently with an emerald green hoodie, light brown shorts and jet black shoes.

"Can't you slow down Richard?" A silver haired boy with a bowl cut followed after him, though he seemed to be panting like no tomorrow. "What makes you think I'm going to slow do—!?" The black haired boy's green eyes' attention was caught by what looked like a younger version of Sally.

Her hair was shorter and she was wearing a cream coloured shirt with knee-length denim shorts. "Look out!" Richard shouted as he jumped and knocked out the shady looking man that was following the girl.

Sally turned around quickly to see the figure of the towering figure behind her become knocked out by a green blur to which she gave out a small yelp of fear. "Hey, are you ok?" He asked with a small smile.

"Um… yes?" It probably wasn't supposed to sound like a question, but she was just so surprised by the events that just played out before her that it just came out like that. "You aren't hurt?" He asked with a little bit of worry.

Sally recovered, and nodded. "Um… what's your name?" She asked, with a similar smile to Richard's. "My name's Richard Rightmire, but you can just call me Richard or Richie."

She nodded again, introducing herself. "Um, I'm Sally Frey… But you can just call me Sally."

"Dude… I told you. You run too fast…" The silver haired kid finally caught up to Richard. "Yeah, I know Yu."

Is that how they met? I chuckled to myself. That's almost the same way my relationship with Mitsuru started to develop now that I think about it.

**"Is that so?" **Mmhm. We started to trust each other a lot after we started going through Tartarus, and in the end we just sorta… clicked I guess. **"Ah to be young." **Wait. How old are you anyways? **"Hm. About beginning of Universe time. Why?" **You weirdo. **"I aim to please."**

_20/10/09 After School_

Is it just me, or does Richard always seem happier when he hangs out with Ken and Koromaru? I wonder if it has something to do with his memories… It probably does, considering how nostalgic he looks at times when he talks to the Justice wielder and the Strength user.

"Ok, so if I can get his Milotic this is all… over." Richard grinned as he used a Thunderbolt on the sea snake Pokemon with his Manectric. With all his Pokemon being around level 43, it was no doubt that this was going to be one easy battle for his Breloom and Raijuu Pokemon.

Ken was busy cheering him on as the Thunderbolt animation progressed. The once green bar of the Milotic dwindled down to yellow and red until it was finally gone.

"Hell yes." Richard grinned. "You lose Wallace!" he chuckled evilly as he mashed 'A' to speed the text along. Yay, he got the Rain Badge.

Richard saved quickly before grinning up at me. "Uh… what's up?"

"Can we battle?" My eyebrow rose. "Um… ok?"

Quickly getting my DSi XL from my room which had been gathering dust, I came downstairs with my R4 slotted inside.

Richard had pulled out his DS as well, and had already started going through the loading screen for Platinum. "No legendaries." He smiled as he mashed the 'A' button some more. I nodded and went through the loading sequences for Diamond.

My team was Lucario, Sceptile, Charizard, Luxray, Garchomp and Empoleon. Not necessarily in that order.

The communications started up, and I saw what his team was. He had Typhlosion, Lucario, Aerodactyl, Skarmory, Torterra and Weavile. It seemed like neither of us were those pro trainers that had to get the right natures and everything. If he had been, I'd have been royally screwed.

I sent out Charizard first, while his Typhlosion came out. I love you Earthquake. My Charizard was able to score that powerful Ground type attack and take it out in one hit. It was natural when you had that kind of move on your Charizard.

"Aw man…" Richard sighed. Ken looked bug-eyed at our battle, not knowing who was going to win. "Aerodactlyl!" The green eyed Universe wielder cried dramatically.

The prehistoric Pokemon used a Stone Edge attack to knock out my Charizard with its superior speed. It was a predictable move on Richard's part, seeing as that attack was pretty much certain to knock my fire dragon out.

I nodded at his win and sent out my Empoleon against his stony dragon, using a Surf attack after he tried to use a Fire Fang attack on my penguin. With Empoleon's great Special Attack and defences, it was no wonder why he won.

The next Pokemon that he sent out was his Torterra in all its land-massive glory. Even with an Ice Beam from my speedier emperor penguin, it wasn't able to take the land turtle out due to its beefed up Defence and Special Defence. With a quick Earthquake, Empoleon was finished off.

I sent out my Garchomp, and with its superior speed made for an Aerial Ace attack. The Torterra succumbed to the combined damage of the Ice Beam from earlier and this Flying attack.

Weavile was sent out, and I knew that Garchomp wasn't going to last on this Ice Pokemon because of its insane Speed and horrifying Attack. An Ice Punch to the face and my land shark Pokemon was out.

In response, I sent out my Lucario and took out the frail Weavile with a powerful Aura Sphere attack after his Weavile tried to use another Ice Punch. Aura Sphere never missed, and it was a Fighting type attack. Seeing as Weavile was an Ice and Dark type, it was no wonder that it was taken out.

This next battle was Lucario against Lucario. I wasn't sure which one was faster of the two, so I used a Mach Punch attack to chip away at his HP bar. It managed to survive the fast attack, and was able to use an Aura Sphere on my aura brawler to take it out.

My last two Pokemon were Luxray and Sceptile. Sending out my Sceptile to use a Brick Break attack to finish the aura using jackal. His last Pokemon was a Skarmory, and even though I tried to use an Energy Ball to chip away at the wall, Sceptile was defeated with an Aerial Ace.

Luxray against Skarmory. Thunder Fang, and Steel Wing. It was clear how this was going to end.

"Dammit!" Richard cursed as the last of his Skarmory's HP was taken off.

* * *

AN: Moar Richard and turmoil. And that is part of the reason why he's kinda depressing. I really loved writing (16)Minato's rant. It was fun to see (17)Minato getting chewed out for once. Please tell me what you think of Richard so far, not just the fire wolf… Also… Pokemon battle. :D

Listening to a lot of music while I was writing, but it was mostly World So Cold and The High Road. (Three Days Grace)

Anything I can improve? Plz tell!

Plz review and no flames!


	22. Pulling Triggers

_20/10/09 After School_

So… did I mention that Richard did get top marks with me and Mitsuru? Mind equals blown. Besides that, Ken kept on cheering us on as we competed in some more games like Mario Kart and Mario Party. Just 'cause. Not to mention that we ended up with a draw by the end we finished playing.

_03/11/09 Full Moon, Dark Hour_

So, today is the day when the happening for the Fall is sealed. To think that what we think is such a harmless thing is what is going to bring us all to destruction. Man. I just can't believe that it's about two months until the battle with Nyx. That moon… I chuckled to myself.

"Are you ok, Makoto-san?" Aigis was the only one in SEES who still referred to everyone with a 'san' honorific. Eventually we all just gave up on getting her to call us out without using the honorifics.

"Uh, yeah. I just have a lot on my mind." I answered with a sheepish smile.

"You always say that, Makoto." Mitsuru joked. Well… I guess that was kinda true.

"Yes, yes. We can't all be watching Mahou Shoujo Piru-Chan in secret." I shot back. Yes, she was a closet anime fan.

Mitsuru started blushing in embarrassment as her eyes widened. "You incorrigible...!" She muttered.

"Yes, yes. We all know how much of an idiot I am," I threw a deadpan look at the ice queen. "It's in my nature."

Comparing me to when I was a kid to what I was now was actually kind of funny. I felt like I had even stronger resolves back then, and it feels like… it's like I'm on a journey to relearn all of my motivations, with a little more knowledge from the last time. Sobering, yeah… But I would feel a lot better if I learned everything again.

One thing that has come back to me… Death is definitely not the answer. After all if your negative motives to die are part of what is fuelling humanity's collective anguish, taking the form of a complete and utter abomination… I would not want to feel that way again.

Never.

"So, this Shadow is going to be the last one…" Yukari noted wistfully. I nodded to myself. That was right. This would be another day when I knew that Death was just on our doorstep. How pleasant…

"We have to do our best!" Fuuka encouraged. If we don't, well… who else would protect the world from destruction?

"Then let's beat the shit out of it!" Junpei exclaimed happily. Well… that was one way you could put it.

Shinjiro and Akihiko grinned. They were going to take this Shadow down hard.

"Minato." I called over to the bluenette.

"Yeah?" The cobalt haired leader came up closer.

"Have you ever thought about using your Personae to fly?" I asked with a grin.

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously.

"Do you have Thanatos yet?" He nodded. Looks like he maxed that one out. That was a really good thing. "Welp, when I use Thanatos I usually use him to fly when I jump on his back. It's pretty fun."

Minato's eyebrow rose. "Is that right? Ok… but why are you telling me about this?"

"Hanged man Arcana?" I asked, trying to get him to connect the dots.

"I see… it's an airborne Shadow." He nodded to himself.

Thank Thanatos he got that right.

Other than that, he seemed to enjoy talking to Ken and Koromaru a lot. Well… it seems that Lycanos can translate dog language as well, being a wolf and all. Kinda like how I used to have this dog king Persona that I used to translate Koromaru's talking.

Well… there's one thing that I have to give to Richard, and that is that Three Days Grace is really awesome. Yet strangely most of their music fits his situation… It's funny really, not to mention that their music is just some awesome bits of rock. Dare I say, up there with Last Dinosaurs...

With that bit of information from me to Minato, our cobalt haired leader started to pick out the members to go with him. Namely, Koromaru, Yukari and Ken. Of course, I joined in just for funsies, even though I'm confident that just Minato's team will be able to dominate that Shadow.

"Let's go." Minato commanded, and the chosen members went along to confront the Shadow.

"Fuuka! Can you give us a scan!?" The bluenette shouted.

"I'll be right on it!" The teal-haired girl nodded. "Um… there are no weaknesses or strengths!" Fuuka informed us.

"That's good… but it's kinda high up to attack…" Minato mulled the information over before noticing the statues that seemed to be weighing down the cables that were keeping the humanoid Shadow in the air. "Guys, you need to focus on the statues! I'll see what I can do!"

Yukari, Ken and Koromaru nodded and started to throw multi-targeting spells that combined into huge and powerful trinity attacks as they approached the statues. Yeah, electrical firestorms for the win! Minato took to trying to summon Thanatos, and after a few seconds of intense concentration, the death god appeared in all his… glory?

**Hell yeah, it's glorious! **Well, of course you would think that Thanatos. "Let's get 'em!" Minato shouted with a grin as he jumped on top of the death god's coffin cape which was flattened so that the bluenette could stand on them easily.

Thanatos rose up to the Hanged Man Arcane's altitude and started to slash at the Shadow's head with its sword while Minato got off and bashed at the back of its head with his fists. As the Shadow fell down from having the statues underneath it destroyed from the many spells that were thrown at them, the bluenette flew up from the air that was rushing upwards, giving him a chance to make a slash in the cloth that was catching the air to let it stay up.

On the way back down, he delivered a powerful downwards cut on top of the Hanged Man Shadow's head. A flurry of Ichor sprayed out as Minato front-flipped over his target to avoid the spray of black blood.

Several flashy shows of Ziodynes lit up the area, even managing to Shock the Shadow from the repeated zaps. The Garudynes from Yukari were teamed up with Koromaru's Agidynes, creating especially powerful fiery whirlwinds.

"You ready?" Minato asked me with a grin. I nodded back with a grin just like his and readied as we played through the video game song 'An Empty Tome' from Castlevania.

The cobalt haired leader was mostly dealing with the main melody of the piece, hacking through the downed Shadow like meat for slaughter. With no escape while I used more powerful strikes from my swords to make deep cuts in the Hanged Man Arcane everywhere.

"Let's go!" Casting a Heat Riser spell on the both of us, we both cut through the Hanged Man, through the middle into near equal thirds. Not too soon after the devastating slashes, the Shadow dissipated into red and black mist, like all Shadows did.

"We got it," Minato smiled, wiping off some of the Ichor that splashed onto his face. "Um… don't eat Ichor. It tastes horrible," Spitting out the remaining black blood that caught onto his lips, "It tastes really iron-like…"

Iron-like? Hm… I forgot to ask. How come my blood is gold and black as well as red?

**_Wait, your blood is black and gold? _**Yeah… you didn't hear me just then, Nyx? **_Just making sure… I'll tell you about it later._** Hm… black and gold… makes me wanna break out into song. **_Not now. _**Fine.

"Looks like that Shadow is done." Minato smiled, somewhat shakily. Of course… I already told him that if we defeat this Shadow, we would effectively be sealing the inevitable fate of the Fall. Of course he would be a little scared. I wouldn't blame him if he was horrified even.

"Yes… that's right." Mitsuru nodded, with a little bit of a pained expression on her face. I told her too… that's right. Early on.

"Mmhm…" Yukari agreed.

"Now… all we have to do is find a solution to the end of the world thing." Junpei tried to lighten up the situation. Oh wait… we didn't tell Richard about that yet.

"End of the world?" Richard asked.

"That is correct. Since we defeated this Shadow, we effectively sealed the ending of the world. But we're still trying to find another way to solve the Fall." Aigis explained.

"What happens with the Fall then?" The black haired Persona user had a slight glare in his eyes.

"Life as we know it would die." Shinjiro stated bluntly.

"Is that right…?" Even if his expression seemed plain, I thought I could see the corners of his mouth turn up a little, in a smile.

Is he in that much pain that he would just wish for the end of the world? I gritted my teeth in anger at that… Even if it was just a slight desire for the end of all things, it would contribute to Erebus' power and make it even easier for that abomination to meet with Nyxie-chan.

Man… "We'll be able to do it, right!?" Ken cheered with a happy expression.

I ruffled his hair with a smile. "Of course we can." It's always fun teasing Ken…

Richard threw a glance at Ken's enthusiasm before a grimace appeared on his face. While I took it as some amount of guilt for feeling like he wanted to die while Ken was really set on keeping the world from ending, the Justice Arcanum took it more as an offense. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I wanna do that too…" Richard mumbled with a hurt expression. That might've not been a lie. Ken looked up at me expectantly, and I removed my hand from his locks.

A small smile creased on Richard's face before he lowered his hand onto Ken's head. The smile turned into a grin, and Ken was probably questioning why he did look so happy. A bead of a tear started to form in the corner of Richard's eyes, but Ken was closing his eyes with a smile so he couldn't see.

But the way that he was doing it kind of reminded me of how I ruffled Minako's hair… almost as if he had… younger siblings just like me. No way… Are you serious!?

Urgh… This sucks… Lycanos better have some answers…!

"Are you ok senpai?" Junpei asked with a grin. I nodded back with a small smirk.

Lycanos better show me those earlier dreams otherwise things are going to be killed.

_04/11/09 Evening_

Minato had an extremely disdainful expression on him, and it looked like he didn't get a lot of sleep last night, judging from his constant nodding off. That's right… this was the day that Alice left. It was nice to know that she would appear for a few weeks after that at least. Speaking of a few weeks… isn't the Kyoto trip also supposed to be coming up? Hot spring shenanigans are a go!

"He'll be back. I guarantee it." I grinned at the depressed bluenette.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked with a fatigued tone.

"Um, you don't remember who I am good sir?" I teased with a fake hurt tone. "You wound me."

"Oh… right," He shot a deadpan look at me before going on to say, "Well… that's good to know. I always liked that little bugger." He grinned before his face turned pained in combination with an indignant expression.

"Urgh…" He knocked his head once or twice before turning back to me.

"Thannie?" I asked with a grin. He nodded with a grimace.

"I probably shouldn't have called him 'little bugger…'" Minato muttered.

"Yeah… probably not," I replied. "Hey, how does your Thanatos react to the nickname Thannie?"

Minato's eyebrow rose as he closed his eyes and tried to ask Thanatos. "Hm… he said he kinda likes it." The bluenette rubbed the back of his head, almost in confusion.

"My version of Thanatos absolutely loves the nickname for some reason…" I said with a small voice as I rubbed my chin.

"How come my Thanatos is different to yours?" Minato asked with a thoughtful expression. Yes keep on turning the wheels, my friend.

"Welp, Nyx told me that we both hold a different part of Thanatos' personality. So, my part of Thannie is the more emotional aspect of him," I tried to explain. "What form did your Death Social Link take the form of?"

"He was a little boy… in prison garb…" Minato recalled.

I nodded to myself. "I'm guessing that part of him might be the more child-like part of his personality. You saw how he reacted when you called him that nickname earlier."

"Good point." The bluenette replied after thinking some more, with a grin.

"Who's Thannie?" Ken asked with a playful expression.

"Oh… one of his Personae." I pointed to our cobalt haired leader.

"Oh really? Why does he have such a funny nickname?" Ken asked with an innocent smile.

"It just sounds funny." Minato stated bluntly.

"It sounds cute." I quipped.

Ken was not convinced.

_Dark Hour_

So, you said that you were going to explain the black and gold tinges in my blood. **_Yes, that's right. _**What is it? **_You have Ichor from both gods and Shadows flowing through your blood. _**Why? **_Getting to that, Minato. _**The night queen sighed.

**_The gold Ichor is most likely a result of the god-like powers that were given to you after you challenged the several bosses of the factions. _**I see… That I can believe. What about the black haze?

**_Honestly, each and every human has a bit of black Ichor flowing in their veins. Do you know why? _**I shook my head no. **_Shadows are the suppressed feelings and emotions of humans. They all have a little bit of darkness in each of them, and as a result, instead of the ruby red liquid you would get from pure blood, you get the slightly darker scarlet colour. _**

Are you sure you've got that right? **_Yes. _**Um, ok… then how come my blood has more of the black Ichor than the others? **_Haven't you considered what a Persona is? _**I know what they are, but what's that have to do with it? **_No. I mean that a Persona is actually a tamed Shadow. You have a lot of them. Are you drawing anything?_**

So you're saying that my Personae are basically parts of myself that I suppress, but are tamed so that they won't hurt me, and that because I have so many of them they even get to the point where it affects my blood stream as well? **_Yes._**

…That's freaky. **_Of course it is. But of course… There's nothing wrong with it. It doesn't mean anything. _**Well, as long as it doesn't really affect me… Thanks Nyx. **_You're welcome. But, shouldn't you be getting some sleep now?_**

Yeah…

Again it seemed like it was the fire scene from before. But this time I could see what was happening. Thank Thanatos, Lycanos. Freaking finally.

From what I could see…

I couldn't really bring myself to say anymore after I saw what the heck was happening.

"No! Fuck… what the hell did I do!?" Richard looked around frantically for anything that could help him get rid of the fires that engulfed the building.

What I'm guessing is…

He kept on repeating 'no' over and over again. Too shocked… and too angry at himself.

Those two muffled cries from before…

"PERSONA!" He commanded as his eyes started darken into a black colour, and Lycanos appeared just behind him. "Lycanos, you have to save them!" He whimpered as he squeezed his eyes shut.

**"As you wish."** The wolf warrior nodded slightly with a sad expression before crashing into the building, and rushing back out with three burned… things…

Two of them were smaller, the other a little bit shorter than Richard. "I… won't let this happen again… ever." He whispered quietly as he kept on crying.

**"Together, right?" **The wolf warrior had a frown on, almost knowing that this was not going to work. It seemed that he was trying to start getting Richard back on track before anything bad happened. It just seemed like it didn't work…

"Yeah… We have to…" Tears kept on flowing from his eyes, and it seemed like they would never stop. "Never again will I lose someone like this…"

While his voice seemed set, his face had a kind of knowing grin that just said that nothing was going to be alright again. "I just can't believe that… it was my entire fucking fault…" He chuckled dryly, like he wasn't even taking himself seriously.

"Just what am I supposed to do…?" He looked around before realising there were a few things that he could do.

"Sally… Sally…" Every time that he said her name his voice got even quieter. "It was the fire…" He chuckled. "I'm sorry…"

Carrying all three off into the dark of night with help from Lycanos, some faint words were still coming. "I'll… give her a burial… I'll make a nice tombstone for her and bury her… on her favourite hill…" That voice of Richard's came out broken and hurt, probably still crying after all that.

Tears were forming at the corners of my eyes as I heard… "This is my fault for dragging you into this… I'm so sorry… just end it all now…" I tried to heave back the lump that was forming in my throat, barely resisting crying even more…

**"Now do you see why he's like this?" **Lycanos appeared next to me, with a solemn expression.

"Are Universe wielders just supposed to have bad pasts or something?" I chuckled a little bit.

**"Maybe. So in return for great power, you have to go through every pain imaginable… twice."**True that.

"Isn't that true," I quipped, "So he loses both his siblings, and his love, while I lose my parents. Twice," I shook my head, "Why does fate just love fucking with us?"

"Next thing I know is that there are others who have the same power and are subjected to eternal torment after they use their powers." Nyx's presence in my mind shifted a little, as if uncomfortable.

Lycanos just nodded with a dry smile before I faded back into consciousness.

**_Minato… how did you get that right?_**

What do you mean, Nyx? **_After each and every Minato from each world used their Universe Arcana because they couldn't kill me… He would be subjected to eternal torment from Erebus, trying to keep him from touching me._** What.

'I chooseth this fate of mine own free will'… Bullshit.

**_Isn't that true…?_**

_09/11/09 After School_

"Hey Makoto!" Minato said with a grin, "You are a mad genius, you know that?"

I blinked once or twice before seeing a boy tagging along with him with suspenders and a yellow scarf that reminded me of Alice. "What's your name?" I asked with a grin.

"My name's Mochizuki Ryoji. Nice to meet you!" He said with a small smile. He even has the same last name as Alice. So… this is death incarnates new form. He looks about as gentle as Alice. Which is, very. Yes, I think we'll get along just fine.

"Likewise. I'm Yuki Makoto." I answered back.

"Oh yeah. Minato already told me a little about you!" Ryoji replied, closing his cyan blue eyes with a smile.

"Glad to know that I'm famous," I joked. "So, what do you think of the upcoming Kyoto trip?" I asked.

"There's a Kyoto trip coming?" Ryoji asked with a questioning gaze.

"Yup. In a week or so," Minato explained. "I for one am quite excited."

"That does sound exciting… You know, I've heard that Kyoto is pretty famous for its onsens. I'd like to get to go in one sometime." Ryoji chuckled.

Yes, yes it is. That's why I'm going to get a chance to actually go in one without letting my metallic arm get over heated. Damned transferable heat… Not to mention the fact that the air was hot already with the water, so it got warm really quickly.

"Yup. Hey, I've gotta go, so I'll see ya both later." I said goodbye quickly before running to my motorcycle and catching a glimpse of Richard.

"Hi Richard, watcha doing?" The green eyed Persona user looked up in surprise before relaxing as he saw who called him out.

"Nothing much. It's just that I've been wondering about the persimmon tree down in that corridor…" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. I nodded. Last time I checked, I remember moving it since they were planning to cut it down and all.

"I see…" Maybe I can… "Hey, do you wanna move it?"

His eyebrow rose at my proposition. "Are we allowed?" He asked with a cautious expression.

"We can ask some people… I dunno. Like Mitsuru?" I suggested. He mulled it over before nodding with a smile.

"That's a good idea." Richard and I sped to the student council room, dashing past a surprised Toriumi-sensei and an infuriated Ekoda. Yeah, I don't even consider him a teacher. He's just that bad. But… considering that I've already done a prank on him, I'd think that was clear already.

I slid the doors to the student council room, to see Hidetoshi and Chihiro leaving. "Hi Hidetoshi-san, Chihiro-san." I said with a smile as they both came a bit closer to the door.

"Hello Makoto-san." Hidetoshi regarded me with a nod and a slight smile.

"Um, hello Makoto-san…" Chihiro greeted quietly.

"Makoto, Richard. Is there anything that you need?" Mitsuru asked with a smile.

"You see, we were both wondering what was going to happen to that persimmon tree since it was planned that it was going to be cut down," I explained briefly, "So, we were planning to replant it somewhere if you don't mind?"

Mitsuru mulled it over for a bit before smiling that sly smile of hers. "Alright. It's not like anyone's going to complain."

"Thanks." I replied.

"Merci, ma belle belle reine." Richard thanked her, charmingly.

A pink tint appeared on Mitsuru's face from the green-eyed Persona user's gratitude. Always know the right time to say it you lug, huh? "Um… it's no problem…" She looked around before retreating into the room again, sliding the door shut quietly.

"Charming." I threw a deadpan gaze at the sheepish Persona user next to me.

"I know right?" He replied with a grin.

I shook my head at his antics before dashing our ways to the corridor where the persimmon tree stood. Hm… I wonder if anyone would have been able to recognise the both of us at the speed we were running.

"Um… how are we going to get it outside?" Richard asked, his face taking on a thoughtful expression. I kinda wish we had that special tape that had the words 'keep out' on it. That would be good right now.

"Well, I can teleport it out of here easily but there are people watching. And neither of us ought to bring a shovel," I muttered, "Um… Oh right. It's been a while since I've used this, so I almost forgot about it." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly before snapping my fingers and casting an illusion over the two of us. Now no-one will be able to see us teleport.

"Have you got a place in mind to bring it?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. Just a minute." He closed his eyes before something entered my mind, almost like how Lycanos made me dream about Richard's old memories. What I saw… it was a hill that overlooked the ocean with the sun edging over the gentle arc of it with mellow light.

I snapped my fingers again, thinking about that beautiful hill, taking Richard and the tree with me.

Being sometime in the afternoon, the sun's fading rays caressed us on the winds soft… and almost entrancing… It almost felt like there was another presence that I couldn't sense on the hill with us… Something slight and gentle… "Is there any reason why you wanted to bring it here?" I asked with a feather light tone.

"I just think she might've liked it." Richard answered with a longing voice.

I think I knew who he was referring to. I traced the grass that carpeted the ground until my eyes reached a small shaped rock. I walked over to the stone, bending down to read what I saw was carved into it. I ran my fingers through the heavy grooves of each of the letters made, tracing every curve and line.

'RIP Sally Frey, My loyal friend whom I would go to the ends of the earth for just to see her again. – R.R'

"Where do you want to put it?" I asked in a low voice.

"Just there." He replied bluntly, gazing to the immediate left of the stone.

Wordlessly, I displaced some dirt before placing the tree inside the hole and covering its staunch roots over with the earth I teleported out of the ground. "Thanks Minato." Richard whispered.

"You're ok," I sighed, "Let's get our motorcycles and go back." Richard nodded slightly before we went back to the dorm.

_Dark Hour_

Thank Thanatos Minato decided to go to Tartarus tonight. I pulled my gloves on, and checked my swords. It looks like I'm set. I don't know whether this'll do much… but I'll have to try. I teleported to Tartarus looking for Minato's gang.

Tapped my feet twice, changing the music around to… 'Darkness.'

"What are you doing here?" Minato asked plainly.

"I want Richard to come to the bottom of the Monad Block." I replied.

"Why?" Richard asked as he readied his scythe.

"I want a fight. Simple as that…" I glared at him with an icy look. It was clear that this was a real challenge. "You up for it?"

Minato, Yukari and Junpei exchanged glances with worried looks. Knowing how strong I was, they were definitely going to be anxious. "Ok... It's not every day that you get challenged by the Reaper." He said with a slight grin.

"Mmhm. Ja ne." I waved back to the team, shooting a smile in Minato's direction in particular.

This is going to be a tough fight… I can feel it.

"You're going down, wolf boy," I whispered with a grin as I spun my revolvers. "Hard."

"Well… you certainly got down here quickly." I commented as Richard made his appearance behind me.

"Why wouldn't I have?" Richard replied, "It's called digging."

"Hm… That's a pretty good idea," I pointed my revolver at the green eyed Persona user. "But, I still think climbing up a tower without any support and only with help from your Persona is cooler."

"You're right. It is cooler." Richard shrugged.

"Five, six, seven, eight, go." He perked to attention, swinging his scythe as if he had been using it for years. Well, he probably has. I tapped my feet quickly, changing the song again to 'Animal I Have Become' because Three Days Grace is awesome.

I weaved through the scythe strikes with little movement, only with slight steps to the side. Speed up Richard!

As if on command, his swings became even faster. So much so, that his blade became little more than a black blur. Perfect.

Having to actually move to dodge his moves now, it was coming to the point where I would start the rolling sequence. I began to swipe back at Richard, forcing him to switch to the defensive.

Even so, he continued to block my slashes on the pole of his scythe. I've got to ask him how he became so dexterous with it… Soon after one of my cuts he turned around with a huge arc, almost gutting me with his blade as I ducked.

I may have been used to fighting against a scythe-wielder from experience with Kronus, but this was crazy! I would think that he's even more skilled than that time titan! But, I think this may have been the challenge I was looking for… I grinned as he tried to connect with me again, narrowly missing my coat.

"You're a quick little bastard, aren't you?" Richard grinned, seemingly not even tired. That's right. We're only getting started. But to think of it, I don't have a Persona that he doesn't know about… I'm only lucky because my coat is able to cover up my SP signature, including what Persona I'm going to use.

Why don't I have a Persona like that!? Urgh…

"Sure I am. I wouldn't want to end up gutted by that scythe of yours." I quipped.

Don't I!?

Richard chuckled as he swung his scythe again, almost getting me with that one too. Then… I realised that was glowing a sky blue colour… Crap, he's summoning!

**_Let me help. _**Tartarus… what are you doing? Um… Tartarus… Dude! Huh…?

"Persona…" I muttered slightly, and HOLY SHIT! Tartarus appeared next to me with his slicked back hair and red eyes. "Tartarus, you ready to go!?" I grinned as Lycanos entered the battle, clearly not knowing why the Reaper has a Persona.

**_"Hmph. Who do you take me for?" _**I merely grinned as the red eyed man charged at the wolf warrior. I shook my head before charging along with the prison Titan at Richard.

"How do you have a Persona?" Richard grunted as he clashed with me again.

"There are a lot of things that you don't know about me," I replied simply as I jumped away from his strike. "In fact, I probably know more about you than you do me." I grinned.

"What do you mean?" Richard growled.

"That's just what it means. Admit it," I pushed his scythe back, creating an opening. "You know next to shit about me." Tartarus wrapped Lycanos in heavy grey chains.

"Isn't that right, wolf-boy?" I stabbed him in the stomach.

"So!?" He coughed out a little blood. "Why would that matter!?"

"Even if I was a friend, would you fight me?" I sank the metal further into his stomach.

Richard stayed quiet, still thinking and trying to hold back what looked like a pool of scarlet liquid in his mouth, which despite his efforts was starting to leak out in rivers from the corners of his lips.

I yanked my still red nail out of him, cleaning out most of the blood that stuck to the sword as the blade was lifted out. The sticky red liquid was pouring out in droves from the hole in his stomach; same with his mouth. "Probably not," He rasped out. "But, we're not exactly friends… are we?"

If only you knew Richard. If only you knew. "Well… maybe not. But I know that your friends are coming now," I looked towards the stairs that led into the basement floor. "And… they're going to be worried about you." I shook my head as I thought about my friends in both worlds.

"I don't care that you might think that you have the worst past in the world. There's always going to be a chance to move on from it… no matter how bad it is," I pressed my fist against my heart. "I've seen a lot of people with horrible pasts… but they didn't keep on harping on it."

I chuckled. "They would embrace the friends around them, and let them help them," I started to remember Minako and how nothing ever got her down, not even when she was around to see our okaa-san pass away for a second time. "They had the courage to move into the future, using their pasts to make them stronger."

"After all… it's not like you have the fate of the world resting on your shoulders or something," I laughed mirthfully. "That's something for Minato to worry about." And me, I added in my head.

"Well…" I dispelled Tartarus' form and cast a Diarahan on the green eyed Persona user. "Ja ne." Casting an illusion and travelling to the top of Tartarus I was able to look into the memories of the tower.

"Richard! Are you alright!?" Yukari fussed.

"I guess you didn't get to beat him either," Junpei grinned sheepishly. "Well, it's just good that you seem alright."

"Idiot wolf." Minato muttered.

"Yeah… I think I'll be fine," Richard smiled weakly. "He sure did a number on me…"

To heal them, maybe I just have to break them first. That's what Minato does. Punch, then talk. This time it was more like 'stab then lecture.'

_10/11/09 After School_

"What did you do to Richard?" Minato asked with a slight smile. "He's been looking a little better."

"Um… I stabbed him in the stomach and gave him a lecture…" I rubbed the back of my head.

"So it was like… my 'punch then talk' amped up to 'stab then lecture,'" The bluenette nodded sagely. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"Well… I don't think that just punching him would do any good." I grinned back at him.

"Sure." He replied dryly, with a deadpan expression.

_17/11/09 Morning_

The passing country side was a blur, just like the last trip. To think I'm lucky enough to go again. Though… I would say that's more of a sarcastic comment. Ken and Koromaru were left at the dorm, though the Justice Arcanum didn't seem to mind and Koromaru just goes along with whatever.

No longer did the memories of the killings that I made resurfacing. It was a much more pleasant and calming train ride. My only regret right now that didn't involve anything from the other world was the fact that I had to leave my motorcycle. My dear Pale Rider… Thou shalt be missed. For about three days or something.

I was rocking out to some Castlevania music while we warped through the greenery, the song being 'Bloody Tears.' Classic. But in a piano version instead. Now that was impressive. It was a real pretty song in piano form…

"Watcha listening to Makoto?" Minato asked with a grin.

"Bloody Tears. Why?" I explained with a questioning gaze.

"Just wondering." He shrugged.

"What are you listening to then?" I questioned with a smile.

"Oh, I'm listening to this remix of Bramble Blast." He replied, beaming.

"Nice… Um… what are they doing over there?" I gestured to the crowd that consisted of Yukari, Junpei, Shinjiro, Aki, Ryoji and Richard. Well… actually Richard was just watching. I think.

"Huh? Oh. They're playing strip poker." Minato replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. I guess he must not have liked the idea. Well… I only liked the game when I wasn't playing.

"How did they get Yukari to play?" I wondered out loud. Minato shrugged, very much disdainful of the idea. Probably even more so that I mentioned that Yukari was playing as the only girl, all by herself.

"I might as well watch." I walked over to the crowd, looking over the pile of clothes in the middle.

Junpei groaned as he took his blazer off. Let me see… Junpei's hat, jacket and watch, Yukari's choker and bracelet, Shinji's beanie and Ryoji's scarf. Not bad, but Junpei's luck just must not be in today. Wait. Let me recount that…

Um, Richard's blazer, watch, wristband, and ribbon… "Eh… Richard… what happened?" Minato asked with a worried look.

Richard growled with a low tone, not really registering the bluenette's question. "Goddamit!" Richard roared.

With gritted teeth, he looked between his pendant and his shirt. Though, it kinda looked like he was just looking at both at the same time. "Come on Richard, just take off the necklace!" Junpei whined.

Richard grunted in disdain as he tried to decide once more. I guess that necklace must be pretty important… I whispered into his ear, "Do you have a singlet?"

"Oh. Right… I almost forgot." Richard rubbed the back of his head before unbuttoning his shirt.

"Um… why are you taking off your shirt instead of that necklace?" Shinjiro asked quietly.

Richard didn't answer in words, rather choosing to growl menacingly and hold onto it protectively. "It must be pretty important." I commented.

"That he would even choose to do that instead of taking off a necklace?" Akihiko wondered.

"There's only one thing that I know is above a man's pride…" I smiled.

"What do you mean senpai?" Yukari asked, her eyes, stars.

I grinned at the bluenette next to me, "It's really simple… don't you think so, Minato?"

"Isn't that right," Minato smiled sweetly. "Yukari."

The pink wearing brunette seemed to get the message and started to blush a light shade of rose. She giggled before picking up some cards. "I don't get it." Junpei indicated bluntly.

"Junpei, I thought you would have gotten it by now." Ryoji laughed a little bit, looking over his cards.

"Well, I don't." The… not-so-capped teen replied petulantly.

Ryoji filled him in, with a wistful smile and nostalgic gaze, "It is called love."

"U-uh…" By some miracle, even Junpei started blushing a little bit.

_Evening_

Thankfully after that little match of poker, Richard actually managed to turn his luck around. Therefore, he did not lose any more articles of clothing and he was safe from any further embarrassment. Junpei on the other hand...

The hotel that we were in was as extravagant as I remember it to be. It was the same lighting and carpet and everything. As I remembered, Toriumi sensei was telling everyone where to go.

"No, I'm not going to take my shirt off again!"

… This is going to be a long trip for Richard, isn't it?

_19/11/09 Afternoon_

I sighed. Why is everything as boring as I remember it to be? Oh right. Because Ryoji isn't a girl. Right. It's funny how lonely I feel since Ryoji is a lot more interested in hanging out with Minato. And why shouldn't he be? Ah well…

**_Don't be so sad, you've still got me around._** True that. **_And now you've even got me as a Persona. _**Also true.

"Yo." Richard came closer with a small smile.

"Hey. What's up?" I asked with a smirk.

"Nothing much… But that's the problem." He whined.

"Ah. I know how you feel." I dropped some spare yen into the offertory box. No, I don't really feel like praying. That's pretty much what I've been doing for the past few months.

"Well… I think we better get back." He suggested.

"Yup." I agreed.

_Evening_

Oh no. Tonight is that night. That night when the wolves are released and the beasts rip us all… to complete and utter shreds. That night when you will regret ever feeling good about seeing something like it. That night when everything will come crashing down on you if you don't get away early.

Oh no. Goddammit we have more peopled here.

Minato shivered as he felt something approach us, getting ever closer. Junpei and Ryoji were off in their own world. Unfortunately. Shinjiro was staying as quiet as he could, lest he invoke the rage of the ice queen and everything that came with it. Akihiko was almost deathly still, almost as if he was already frozen by one of Mitsuru's ice spells. Richard was covering his nose with all urgency, and I can only guess why.

And me? I'm fucking frustrated that I even managed to get into this situation.

"Why are you covering your nose anyways?" The other bluenette whispered, still trying to resist the cold fingers of the shivers that were travelling everywhere around his spine.

"I saw Mitsuru…" Richard replied, relaying that particular message to everyone in the vicinity. Akihiko and Shinjiro blushed slightly as they realised what he was saying, while Ryoji and Junpei were still in a state of rapture by the situation. Minato's shivers only intensified, sending small ripples out around him, but not enough to make a sound with the water.

I chuckled instead. "How was she?" I asked with a smirk.

The apparent dusting of pink spread even further, before he answered back shakily, "Why are we even talking about this?"

"Why not? Besides… I can hear them again." I shrugged slightly.

"Hm, there's nothing there," Yukari told Fuuka. "I must've been imagining things."

"It's ok Yukari-chan. But, now that I think of it, I'm feeling a bit faint…"

"Then we should get out if here. What do you think Mitsuru?" Since when did Yukari get on good terms with the ice queen?

"Yes, I agree. Let us go." Splashes of water were what we heard as that beat disappeared and turned into light padding of footsteps and clicking of metal. Probably Aigis.

"Yes. I felt that some of my machinery was becoming overheated." The robot commented.

"Maybe I can treat you to some ice cream later then, Aigis!" Yukari replied with a laugh and a happy tone.

Yes, because treating a robot to ice cream makes sense. Actually never mind. This is normal fare for our team. Richard breathed a huge sigh of relief as the sounds of the sliding doors signalled that the coast was clear. We need to get out of here.

"Are you serious? These guys fainted from the heat?" Akihiko pinched the bridge of his nose before promptly making his way out of the water. Shinjiro scoffed before making his way out with the silver haired boxer.

Minato started on dragging Junpei and Ryoji out of the water, with not too much difficulty. Thankfully, he was nice enough to carry the two stooges out of the water so that they wouldn't get hurt on the ground.

"We should get out of here too." Richard stuttered before rubbing away the blood that had apparently leaked out from his nose.

"Yup." I replied.

We walked out of the onsen in silence before I felt a fluctuation of SP in the area. Where it came from was someone… familiar… Richard looked around too, apparently also feeling the pulse of SP.

"Weird… who could that be?" Richard wondered out loud.

"I don't know… but for some reason it feels vaguely familiar to me…" I chose to shrug it off and think about it sometime later. Preferably tomorrow.

"It does to me too… It's strange." Richard looked around with a nostalgic look on his face.

"Yeah," I closed my eyes in thought before shaking that out as I remembered what I wanted to do. "We can think about this later. We better get back to our rooms instead."

Richard nodded vigorously in response.

* * *

AN: Welp, some light-hearted stuff to end everything, since that fight was a bit draining for me… not to mention that I got some serious writer's block for a while when it came up for the trip. But just for you to know… Richard isn't done yet.

Tell me who you think that mysterious presence was! I don't know, it might not be so surprising… That and I'm not completely sure whether I should put that character in again… But, this story is mostly funsies for me, and if people like it as well it's just a really neat bonus for me. (In other words this is mostly fan service which is why I'm still debating on it. XD)

Anyways, you guys can always tell me where to improve and what you liked and all if you want, and I'm sorry I took so long with this one... :(

Plz review and no flames!


	23. When Rage Is Unleashed

_20/11/09 Morning_

On this day, the male population of SEES was quiet. Very quiet. Very tense. That silence was just waiting to be broken in one fell swoop as Yukari, Mitsuru, Fuuka and Aigis came closer. "Hey you guys! Are you alright?" Yukari asked with a concerned tone.

Minato nodded as calmly as he could, trying not to let his real, storm of emotions show through his mask. He was doing a pretty good job of it too. Richard was facing away from her so that no-one could see the blush that was starting to spread when Mitsuru came closer.

Shinjiro and Akihiko were stiffly still, and were putting up some terrible grimaces that were doing no effort to help the situation in any way. Ryoji and Junpei looked pretty happy though. Perverts the two of them, I swear…

"Um… are you sure?" Fuuka asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," I answered with a small smile. "It's just that we were caught up in something kinda scary so some of us are in a bad mood." And that was the truth.

"I see Makoto-san," Aigis nodded in understanding. "But pray tell… what were you doing?"

"Oh. We were telling each other some creepypasta stories… they were pretty frightening." I waved off the question like it was nothing.

Yukari shivered, and ran over to Minato's side, clutching his arm in a huge craze as she shivered like a child lost in the cold night. Well… I don't know. I may be exaggerating. Fuuka had an uncertain expression on, while Mitsuru kept her usual neutral face up.

"You're alright. The creepypastas I tell don't really have any ghosts in them," Minato comforted Yukari. "Besides, creepypastas aren't real. The really good ones are just really realistic, and that's why they're scary." The bluenette explained further.

"Oh, ok…" Yukari replied trying to calm herself down.

_21/11/09 After School_

"Yo." A very familiar voice called out to me from behind.

I swung around to meet her gaze. No way…! "Yo."

It was Ray. No wonder. That SP surge must have been her… But there was one thing that was different about her that just stood out to me. Her eyes weren't green like they were in my world… They were a dark brown colour, a few shades lighter than her chocolate hair. I wonder why?

"Have we seen each other before?" I asked with a curious tone.

"Yeah… I heard you guys trying to get away from the other girls in the hot springs." She explained with a giggle.

"Oh… What's your name?" Just to go along with the flow.

"Ray. Ryouken Ray..." And her name's different too…

Her mouth sank beneath the folds of her red scarf. It wasn't scarlet like before, it wasn't like it was blood stained. It was just a bright red, that kind of warm red… "Cool. I'm Yuki Makoto." I introduced myself with a grin. "Other than what you just mentioned… was there any reason why you wanted to talk to me?"

"Well… I kinda wanted to join SEES since I have a Persona and all… two of them actually…" How did she even hear about this? I nodded slowly.

"Are you ok to come over to our dorm now?" She nodded with a small and wistful smile.

"Yeah… I only live in the girl's dorms so yeah…" And… her personality is a lot different to her previous personality in my world. It's like she's a lot more reserved and shy. I have to admit, it's actually kinda cute.

"Then let's go." I held out my hand and she took it tentatively before I pulled her along to my motorcycle and handed her a helmet. She slipped it on before sitting just behind me and wrapping her arms around my torso.

"You good to go?" She nodded in response.

"Cool." We both sped off towards the dorms shortly.

I led her inside the dorms where she promptly sat on the couch and began to look around. "How do you get so many members in…?" Minato's voice came from upstairs before his voice was cut off as he saw Ray.

"…Ray?" Said girl looked up to see who addressed her before her face creased into a smile. "It's been a while Minato."

I wonder why they were separated.

"Hey dude! Wait up…" Richard's voice trailed off as he laid eyes on Ray.

Ray's eyes widened when she looked up to the green-eyed Persona user's eyes. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Yeah… I think I do…" Ray stared intently at the wolf warrior.

Minato looked between the two of them curiously before shrugging. "Looks like they might need a moment."

I nodded in agreement before following him upstairs, while he went back to his room and me to mine. I wonder how Richard and Ray are connected.

_Evening_

There's one other thing that I've noticed about Ray. Her Personae are different… while she has Eos like before… she has another Persona which is very different to Skoll.

I came down to the lobby to find that Richard and Ray were still talking.

"Oh. Hi Mitsuru." I waved to the redhead who just walked into the dorm.

"Hello Makoto. Did you find another member?" She asked as her eyes glazed over Ray.

I nodded, pointing to the girl with the red scarf. Ray turned to face her, with a neutral expression. "Hi. I'm Ryouken Ray."

Mitsuru nodded with a smile. "I see. We'll take care of your arrangements shortly."

Why do I feel something about this Ray that's going to change Richard…? For good or for worse… Something... Something is going to go down. I don't know whether it would be a good or bad thing. All I know… it's going to change Richard.

For now… I guess I better just wait until later until the next time I fight him.

_22/11/09 Dark Hour_

Tartarus time. It's mostly just to see what Ray can do.

"So… do you need a weapon or anything?" To my surprise, she shook her head.

"I'll be fine," She indicated the black bands that gripped her wrists. "These'll work just fine."

The ebony leather bands on her wrists were adorned with a gold metal piece that was carved to look like a wolf running with the wind in an intricate pattern. The visible eye of the wolf that was showing was a vibrant ruby that glowed eerily.

"Well if you're sure." On an unrelated note, they both look very pretty.

After indicating that her power levels were about the same as they were back in the previous world, we headed down to the Monad Block to look for some more Shadows.

In other words, I tapped my feet again. How she was going to use those wristbands was beyond me, but everything was answered once we got to the floor that I changed.

Once she breathed out, she was on the horde of Shadows in a flash.

It felt as if her charms were being powered by her SP, if a miniscule amount. They shone gold, and what looked like white wolf spirits charged into the mountain, ripping the black into red and grey shreds.

Well to say anything, her new fighting style is a lot more toned down than Ray's form in my world. "That was easy…" Ray cocked her head in confusion before shrugging and continuing on with the path.

Richard whistled and looked at her with interest before following her. Minato's shoulders rose and dropped and he came after the wolf duo with me.

This is going to be interesting.

_02/12/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

Aside from the fact that Richard seemed to be gravitating closer to Ray, and Mitsuru was hanging out with me more often, there wasn't really much to say.

I don't want to talk about today. Because I knew what this day was, and this was one of the saddest and down-trodden days I could remember. The day when Alice was revealed to be the Appriser of the Fall. It was this day when we found out for sure how the world was going to end.

"Ryoji!" Minato moved to stop Aigis from charging at the scarf wearing boy.

"Minato…!" Aigis collapsed in the bluenette's arms, weighing him down and near crushing him with her weight.

"Minato…" Ryoji looked away towards the moon, with an ashamed expression.

"Let's go back to the dorm." I suggested, taking charge of the situation.

We moved back to the dorm in deafening silence. After all, the lack of sound was all that was drowning out my near unawareness of the outside world of the Dark Hour… All that would drown out my friends and leave me to my destructive thoughts about the Fall. It was all that was bringing me back to my feelings about Nyx. It was all that brought me to near tears because of my friends.

The older members of SEES reacted how I thought they would. Shocked into silence.

Richard seemed to share the same reaction with Minato. Blank and lack of emotion, even though a storm of emotions was likely to be brewing within him, chewing him up inside.

Ray had an expression all her own. She looked… almost as if she was stuck between her emotions of anger and fright. Though if her glowing wristbands were any indication, she was definitely not happy in the least.

There was one thing all our SEES members had stuck to following after seeing what she could do when she was angry. Never. Make. Her. Angry. If you do… I would fear for your life and pity the tongue lashing that you would get from her vicious sailor mouth when she was furious.

No male SEES member would make her angry again. Though this time, she seems to be doing a good job keeping that undoubtedly boiling anger under wraps.

The conversation with Ryoji was something I had heard about before from Alice, so I was mostly ignoring it, just like at Yakushima. Not that anyone would know why I was dismissing such vital information like this, but… It just wasn't something I wanted to deal with for a second time.

Even though I knew that Minato might need help. After all… he was just finding out that one of his friends was the bringer of the Fall.

Thinking about this situation again was making me clutch my chest again, almost as if Alice was pulling on the now broken chain between us. After I had come back from the Velvet Room to obtain the Universe Arcana, I don't know how… But I had come back unscathed, with my normal arm back… and the black chains around my heart broken. I don't know why, and at that time I didn't really care.

"I'll be back on the 31st, so you'll have a month to make your decision." Ryoji explained before walking out the door.

The Dark Hour faded, and the pounding of what sounded like rain started to ring against the concrete and glass all around us.

Everyone fell silent. Richard had something of a mirthful half-smile. Koromaru and Ken looked quite unfazed, while Minato had a hurt expression. How great that he knew that the Fall was coming already, but it's even worse when you hear it like this. To just be told by one of your best friends that he's going to bring about the end of the world…

Even though I've already been through that situation, it was something that still got me right there. Yukari and Fuuka donned worried expressions, while Aki and Shinji had set faces that were probably hiding large amounts of emotional turmoil. Mitsuru had the same face as Minato: hurt and almost broken. She too knew that the Fall was coming before everyone else, but no-one would have imagined that any part of Death had actually come from their leader, and one of the team's greatest friends.

Junpei and Ray both shared the same fuming expressions. From Ray it was expected from what she looked like earlier, but I had yet to find out why Junpei was like that. Aigis was out of commission, so she wouldn't have been able to put her cents into the pile of emotional maelstroms going around right now.

"Just asking. Were you even listening to what he was saying?" Minato asked with a concerned tone as everyone began to leave..

I sighed. "Not really." I wasn't. But that didn't mean that I didn't know what Ryoji was talking about. And even if… even if this has already happened before… It would still continue to tear me up inside.

"But I've already decided." I turned heel and walked up to my room.

So… I've got two months. **_Are you going to be ok?_** I sighed. We'll just have to see, Nyx. After all I still haven't even told them about me yet, and Minato would probably need to do that challenge… This sad story is still going to be a few miles from ending. **_Isn't that right…?_**

_03/12/09 After School_

I wouldn't think about doing this, but I'm going to see how everyone's going.

"Oh. Hi Makoto." Shinjiro greeted me with a low response.

I nodded with a small smile. "Yesterday was hectic, wasn't it?" The beanie wearing brunette nodded in agreement.

"Yeah… Apparently we can't stop the Fall, huh?" He replied with a mirthful smile.

"I've already decided what I'm going to do." Shinjiro looked up with a surprised expression, if the widened eyes were any indication.

"How?" I gave him a knowing smile. Yeah. I didn't think so either.

"Because… I don't believe defeating Nyx is impossible," I shrugged. "Here in our group… we have some of the most powerful Persona users in the world. Minato, Richard and Ray… and me."

I nodded to myself. "If there is anything to go by, would you rather lose your memories of your friends, or be with them until the end?"

"I…I'm still not sure… But I'd probably want to stick… with my friends and shit…" Shinjiro stuttered. Of course… I think I'd rather spend my moments with my friends and in pain rather than alone and painless. Being alone is just more painful anyways…

"You have your answer right there," I chuckled. "Besides… I doubt Nyx is really immortal." I added as an afterthought.

_Evening_

"Minato…" The bluenette's voice came through my door.

"Yeah?"

"I'm just wondering… how did your friends deal with the revelation of the Fall?" He asked with a small voice.

"Well…" I began. "My friends were pretty tight-knit. And we all agreed on the same thing: to live. Even if they were surprised, they were a lot more concerned with keeping our best times with each other… None of us wanted anyone else to die."

"Is that so…?" Minato chuckled. "Well… I've already made my decision as well…"

"What is it?" I asked with a smirk.

"I'm going to fight," he stated with a determined tone. "Otherwise, all that training you put me through would be for nothing."

I chuckled at that. "Yup. So… what level are you on?"

"Ninety-nine… why?"

"I think I'll be able to do that test of mine sometime later in January. You up for it?" I asked with a grin.

The bluenette scoffed. "Who do you take me for, Minato-nii?"

Just the response I needed.

_14/12/09 After School_

The days spent up until now were spent trying to lift up everyone's spirits for the battle against Nyx. We would be ready to take Nyx on… on the Promised Day. Even though Ray didn't really need any cheering up, since she seemed pretty fired up about it anyways… Ken and Koromaru were also pretty determined to do everything right.

Junpei, Aki and Shinjiro were back on track with their training, and they were getting back into swing pretty quickly after a few conversations. Yukari and Fuuka were beginning to calm down after they talked to each other, and they would be fine. Mitsuru seemed to have taken to spending more time with me… Well… It's nice nonetheless. More ramen for me.

Minato was as stoic as ever, and he had taken turns talking to each of the SEES members with me, discussing strategies and stuff. Though that was mostly for the nerves since it was funny to talk about how they were going to defeat Nyx, especially since they were talking as if she was a boss from a video game.

Richard… well he just seemed to be avoiding us altogether now. I don't know why… but I just have a bad feeling about this… And more often than not, my instincts are right. Unfortunately.

However… there was still a few things that just irked me about December. We still had our finals. Oh joy.

_24/12/09 Evening_

"Do you feel like going out today, Minato-kun?" Mitsuru only ever called me that when we were alone and when we were going something that was more romantically related.

"Sure." I replied with a smile.

There was always something about Christmas eve that just made everything peaceful. Maybe it was the Jack Frost dolls and maybe it was the ramen. But I just knew that the blinking lights hung up above us just cast a sense of serenity and joy in the area like none other.

But… what I didn't understand was why Mitsuru took me into Be-Blue V. Which is a place I never go into since… well it is clothes shopping and stuff in there. But then again, I guess I would need a closet change.

Mitsuru was interested in buying a few bits of jewellery and accessories here and there, while I was looking at this hoodie. It was a dark blue hoodie, but it didn't have sleeves. It was more like a vest than anything, but it had a hood… so… I don't know how to explain that of all things.

That was the only thing I bought though… except for a few badges. One of them was black and rimmed with red, with a pinkish-red bird or crane like symbol in the middle. It was a Code Geass badge, so yeah. The other was a silver badge with a dragon, with a transmutation circle. That was from Full Metal Alchemist. Because Edward is awesome.

"Today was fun…" Mitsuru said softly. I nodded slightly.

"Yeah. It was," I looked off wistfully. "I'm just wondering something."

"Yes?" The redhead asked with a curious expression.

"I'm just wondering. Who do you like? Richard or me?" Mitsuru giggled at my question.

"I like you more. It's just that his words are so… they're so well… executed if you know what I mean…" Executed? Huh. "Not only is there that but his choice of words is pretty charming. Other than that… that's all."

Interesting. "Ok. I'm just asking."

Mitsuru nodded with a smile.

_25/12/09 After School_

"Merry Christmas everybody!" I shouted as I made my way down to the lobby.

"Oh yeah. Merry Christmas senpai." Minato replied with a smile.

I chuckled. Christmas spirit for the win! "Um, what with your new get-up? It does look pretty cool, and I'm not complaining… but I'm just wondering."

"Oh. I got it yesterday. And thanks… I did think it looked pretty cool." I smirked.

"Oh yeah. Merry Christmas Makoto." Richard replied with a slight grin.

"Merry Christmas Makoto!" Ray cheered happily. "And nice vest."

"Thanks." I grinned, rubbing the back of my head.

Ehh… Christmas is awesome. It's times like there when you feel like you can just forget anything. Even if it was something like the end of the world. When you can just hang out with your friends and family with no worry. It's really a great time.

And… Imma go get Ken a present, along with some things for everyone else. When you've got over many billions of yen to use, I might as well use it for something like this.

"Hey Koromaru." The shiba inu barked happily. It seemed that he was itching for a walk.

"Ok then," I replied. "I'm gonna be going to the strip mall and the Paulownia mall."

The dog wagged his tail happily, swishing back and forth like a neat wind shield before lifting himself up and following me out the door.

"So, do you just feel like walking or…?" I asked with a smile.

'I wanna see you teleport!' He barked.

Hm. I should have known that he would have figured it out eventually… Sometimes you're too smart for your own good Koromaru-kun. But then again, he is a dog so I suppose that he would have caught my scent back at that 'battle.' Which really, was more like a really harsh lesson. Of crushing. So I guess it would be a crushing lesson. Yeah.

"Please don't tell anyone else about this Koro-kun." I looked at him pleadingly, almost begging. After all this effort to keep my secret about me being the reaper and being from the future… I don't want to lose it after hiding it so well for almost eight months. That would just be disappointing not only as a challenge, but devastating as a revelation.

'Ok!' He yipped after nodding.

I could only smile and pat his head before scooping him up in my arms, and flashing over to the edge of Iwatodai mall. "What do you think everyone would like?" I asked with a half-smile at the white shiba inu.

'Ken wants a 'Zero plushie'. Don't tell him I told you that. And I don't know what that is, but you might.' Koromaru let out a series of barks, the last few being a bit quieter. I chuckled. Of course. Koro-kun hangs out with Ken the most. Of course since he can understand human speech, he would probably hear something about what Ken might like.

"What about you?" Koromaru shook his head.

'I'm ok. I just like being with you guys! After master was gone, you're the best friends I could have!' He yelped and barked.

But still, that's touching… "Well… that's good. You should want to be close with everyone else." I began walking over to the comic book store.

'But I really like you too! You let me meet all my new friends!' Koromaru replied.

I paused a little in my step. That struck a chord…

Just keep on smiling… 'What's wrong?' Koromaru put on a worried look.

"I can't hide this from you can I?" I muttered under my breath. "I guess… I'll explain it later."

Koromaru whined but didn't say anything else. "Dammit." I mumbled as I walked through the sliding glass doors. I picked out a Lelouch doll with the Zero mask from the piles of plushies everywhere and bought it quickly before walking out of the store.

'That's a Zero plushie?' Koromaru had a sceptic tone in his bark, 'I would've thought it was something different…' He trailed off.

"Everyone would think it was something different." I replied with a slight smile.

Koromaru barked happily, and we set off to get some more things for everyone. Namely, a pink bracelet, a game called Catherine, two cookbooks, Punch Out for the Wii, a lot of colourful paper, a Sonata Arctica album, wooden wolf earrings and lastly a pair of black headphones with a rushing wolf pattern on the earpieces.

"What should I get Minato?" I wondered out loud. "Perhaps I could be of assistance?" 'Sup Philemon?

"Two small mirrors. That's what you need." My eyebrow rose after Philemon told me what to get, but I went along with it anyways.

I bought the two small mirrors that I needed and went back home with Koromaru before stopping just in front of the dorm.

"I guess I owe you an explanation, Koromaru." I sighed.

The shiba inu sat in front of me with an inquisitive expression. "I'm not from this world," I started. "I'm from an alternate dimension." The dog looked up at me patiently, waiting for the rest of the explanation.

"I come from a different world, where I have friends that are almost the same as the people here," I looked off nostalgically, thinking about each of my friends. "Including you…" I looked down at Koromaru with a smile.

"Back in my world, the Fall's been stopped. But… just after I was close to defeating Nyx, I was sent here," Just another bitter-sweet memory. "And I met all of you guys." I smiled. Even if they weren't my original friends, they were still best friends, nonetheless.

Koromaru came up close and nuzzled my leg. 'What about the Reaper?' He looked up curiously.

"The reason why I'm the Reaper? Eh… that's a bit of a long explanation," I said with a chuckle. Koromaru whined. Goddammit, too cute. "But… the reason why I attack you sometimes is because I want all of you to become strong. Last time…" I sighed. "All of my friends probably would have died if I didn't stop her." I patted Koromaru on the head, rubbing just behind his ears.

"Let's go back inside." I said with a smile.

The shiba inu barked happily after nuzzling me on my leg again.

_30/12/09 Afternoon_

"Aigis…" Minato breathed out.

"I'm sorry… I can't even shed a tear for you all…!" Aigis shouted sadly.

"Minato…" Aigis said softly as Minato hugged her.

"I know… we're not going to lose. I know it," He rubbed Aigis' back comfortingly before pulling back. "After all…" The bluenette's gaze turned to meet ours. "We've already made our decisions." He smiled.

"I will protect you. I promise." Aigis stated with new resolve.

The bluenette grinned.

_31/12/09 Dark Hour, Full Moon_

"It's your decision." Ryoji said with a resigned tone.

"No. I can't kill you Ryoji." Minato shot back with hardened resolve.

I nodded slightly. "Ryoji. We don't want to you to die. First… you're our friend. Second… neither of us want to let our friends down… we don't want to forget." I explained.

"How would you know?" The scarf-wearing incarnation of Death replied with a suspicious tone.

**"Because I've done this before. And I said the same."** Thanatos roared back in unison with my voice.

Ryoji flinched. Of course… He did just see that I had Thanatos as a Persona. Not that he'd know what it meant fully, but it would be enough to get the point. "I… see… Is that… how it is?" He scarf wearing teen looked off wistfully. "I can't stop you from challenging her then."

"Let's go back down." Minato suggested, to which Ryoji and I agreed.

At least… we finally got this out of the way. Now I won't be tempted to do anything unsavoury, such as killing the guy. But… there's one thing that's been bothering me.

"You've made up your minds. I can't say I like this choice, but…" Ryoji looked over SEES with a saddened expression. "It's yours to make."

It's about Richard.

"That's right…" Mitsuru said quietly.

He hasn't said anything.

"I guess I'll be going now." Ryoji moved swiftly towards the door.

Why not?

"Best wishes for the coming year!" The scarf wearing teen cheered.

An oppressive feeling has been rolling off him in waves.

"That's what you say on New Years eve, right?" Ryoji questioned with a small smile.

Why?

"Yeah. I'll see you soon, Ryoji." Minato gave him a sad smile, muttering a name under his breath. "Pharos…"

I looked over in the green eyed Persona user's direction.

"Yeah. I'll see ya later dude!" Junpei tried to give his trademark grin, slowly breaking apart.

He clutched, no; Gripped onto the gem of his necklace almost as if it was a lifeline.

Ryoji waved as he turned heel out of the entrance of the door and walked off into the wilderness.

His eyes were fluctuating between green and red.

"Richard, are you ok?" Fuuka asked with a concerned tone.

Richard gritted his teeth together, his whole body trembling and quivering from some kind of great pressure. I looked on at him once more, and I noticed the chains. The ebony chains were glowing white in lightning formations; they were cracking.

"Uh yeah… I just need some air." He replied back with a grimace.

Maybe I was the only one who was feeling it. The killing intent that leaked out… Because everyone else seemed to be acting normally. Even Minato. Something that only the Universe Arcana could feel. Minato wasn't one yet, and I was the only one left. I almost felt like collapsing to that intense pressure, but I held on, not showing any weakness as my hands clasped the skin of the couch to keep me standing.

"Let's go to sleep. I think we must all be pretty tired." The bluenette suggested.

Everyone seemed to agree, and they went off to their respective rooms.

I could feel the waves, the pushing of that killer intent from here, even as I felt Richard's SP signature dwindle as he was travelling away from the dorm. I have to do something…!

_Dark Hour_

I teleported to Tartarus quickly, putting on everything that I needed. I could feel the shivers that were travelling up and down my spine as I flashed over to the bottom of the Monad Block. My palms were practically swimming in the sweat that was pouring off me. I had never felt this scared since the day when Death approached me. I think… I might've been more frightened now than then… I've never had this kind of reaction to a foe before…

"What are you doing here Reaper?" Richard gasped out, still clutching his necklace.

The chains that were surrounding him were almost about to break. What would happen if they were broken completely…? I almost don't want to find out…

His eyes weren't his usual green colour anymore. Far from it. They were red and had a faint amount of black swirling in his irises. Filled with darkness, and complete, utter fury. Why?

"I could ask the same of you," I took a defensive stance. "Though I needed this opportunity to battle you again." I may have been defiant in my stance, but I was struck with fear, and I was trying to resist the shaking that was starting to overtake my body.

"Fine then! Come at me!" He yelled, summoning his scythe from out of nowhere. How!?

At blinding speeds, he charged at me, and I had barely any reaction time to block his incoming swings with my swords.

"What's the matter!? I thought the Reaper was supposed to be more powerful than THIS of all things!" He taunted, beginning to overpower my clash with his blade. I gritted my teeth, channelling a Megidolaon spell through my swords, trying to push him back with the Almighty spell for some distance and damage.

Just as the blast fired, he jumped away a short amount, flicking away the Almighty spell as if it was nothing with his arm alone.

"If this is the maximum power of the Reaper…" His form flickered in front of me again, scoring a nick on my shoulder. But why does it hurt so freaking much!? "I'm sure Nyx will be some easy shit, assuming I want to fight her!" A maniacal grin crossed his face, the red and black in his eyes swirling around in full vibrancy, and the chains around him barely taut, white with trickling cracks.

"What!?" I muttered. Why would he not want to fight her!?

The chains shattered into black and white dust, and the full force of his killing intent hit me like a tidal wave, all only focused on me. I was literally pushed into the ground because of this force, and I was struggling to stay up under it.

But then I remembered. That's why. The ice… and the fire…

Richard leaned back into a hysterical laugh, his eyes glowing red, and his teeth almost wolf-like. "This world…" He started off quiet. "…is a piece of shit!" The killing intent only intensified. "It thinks that it can take everything away from me! Fate has screwed with me enough times!" He roared. "If they think that they can just get away with taking away my only family and my love…" He grinned, and his voice echoed throughout all of Tartarus and the Dark Hour. "…then THEY'RE DEAD WRONG!"

Discarding his scythe, his full anger was unleashed. I couldn't even call it a man anymore. It was merely a mindless beast, heck! It had no instinct at all!

With a single punch, I was blown back against the wall. That power… reversed Universe… My vision was growing blurry, and my mind faint. Why…?

I could barely make out a black shadow fly towards me, with piercing red eyes. The locket that once swung on his chest… it too was cracking, glowing with white markings that webbed all over the gem which shone a scarlet colour.

With no time to react, and with too much damage done to me to be able to move…

A sharp pain entered my chest area, and blood was dribbling out of the wound like crazy. But I was growing faint… and my mind was blacking out. I didn't know why there was so much blood… and there would only be one answer to that… My heart was probably scratched, if not totally torn apart…

I pressed my hand to the hole, trying to stave off the bleeding. I groaned from the pain, until I fell forward on the dark shadow's form… I felt my chin catch onto something, probably his shoulder… "I'm… sorry…"

My mind was completely blanked out as I felt some kind of warmth on my back…

My consciousness was faint at best… but I was just wondering whether I was still alive…

"Minato…!"

My mind soon succumbed to the darkness, and any senses it once had just faded away.

_01/01/10 Late Night_

"Will he be alright!?" I heard a familiar voice shout out.

"Yes… though his injury was quite severe…" There was another one, and it sounded like an old man…

I tried to open my eyes, and I was met by a sea of blue…

A gasp came from just in front of me, and I caught sight of what looked like blue hair… "Minato!" It was an excited and relieved voice…

"Minato… you're ok…!" Wait… there was only one person who…?

"Minato…?" I managed to get out.

A sigh of relief followed and the blurry presences were finally becoming clearer. From where I was, I noticed Igor, Elizabeth, Theodore, Margaret and Minato. "Thank Orpheus…!" Minato breathed out, flustered.

I put on a soft smile. It gave me a bit of a fuzzy feeling to know that my otouto cared about me this much. "You probably shouldn't talk so much, Minato-nii…" Minato suggested. I nodded. Yeah… I didn't really feel like talking. I was pretty tired.

"It seems that your heart was pierced by a number of sharp items…" Theo explained.

I nodded in agreement. "They were probably… claws…" I gave as succinct a suggestion as I could.

"You confronted Richard, didn't you?" Minato had a sad expression on. I nodded slowly. "I guess… we're going to have to get stronger so that we can deal with Richard…"

I grinned back. "Yeah. When I get better."

"True that." He grinned back with a grin that was almost the same as mine. It was that kind of competitive grin that you get when you're going up against someone in a kind of race.

"I'm gonna sleep." I announced before closing my eyes and dropping my arms and going to sleep. Ah, sweet dreams in the Velvet Room…

I woke up some hours later, not really knowing for how long I slept. It was probably a long time though. I had no way to make sure, but it wasn't like it mattered. I felt pretty re-energised, and I didn't feel in pain at all. They must have been packing on the Salvations and Diarahans on me I guess. I chuckled to myself before sitting myself up and checking my surroundings. Looks like Eli-chan's room.

And… Minato was sprawled out on another bed, looking totally relaxed as he snored. I chuckled to myself before checking my chest for sure. Eh? It feels hard…

**Apparently… do you remember that technique that you used to get your make-shift arm? **Orpheus asked.

Wait. Really? I sighed. Again. Part metal again… That's kinda disappointing. Oh well.

I walked over to Minato's sleeping figure, and shook him until he woke. "Oh, hi Minato-nii." The bluenette greeted after a small yawn, while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yo otouto." Minato pulled himself up, getting his normal Tartarus clothes on.

Once he finally got himself out of bed, we went out to the main room of the Velvet Room. "So, what are we going to do?" The bluenette asked. I grinned. It could only be time for that. I think he'd have reached level ninety-nine already.

"I think… we are going to take that test I've been telling you about for so long," I revealed to him. "Since you've reached the level barrier, it would be impossible for you to rise up to anymore higher levels just by battling normal Shadows." I explained.

Minato gulped, but nodded anyways. "It isn't as scary as I make it out to be. I'm just joking most of the time," My otouto breathed out a small sigh of relief. "There are a few factions that I want you to go through."

"They are the Japanese, Norse, Hindu, Roman, Chaos, Order, Neutrality and Greek Factions," I listed the places off on my fingers. "I also have one more fight that I think I could get to after you're finished defeating all of their challenges."

"Ok then… how do we get to each place?" Minato asked.

"Um… you're going to have to go to sleep again," Minato looked like he was going to say something in protest or complain so I quickly added something. "But, it won't be for that long so… we can just stay out here." I tacked on.

"Oh, ok." He nodded with determination before going over to the familiar lyre-back chair and closing his eyes.

"Philemon… can you help?" I summoned the butterfly mask wearing master of the Velvet Room just behind me. "Of course." If he didn't have that mask, I would bet that he had a smile on. He placed his hand on top of Minato's forehead, and a blue light began to radiate from my otouto's body.

"Do you wish to go with him?" I nodded at the masked master and sat just next to the chair, closing my eyes. The familiar feeling of Philemon's touch brushed past my mind. It was as if a butterfly had landed on my face and softly taken off, fluttering away. I felt myself entering the God's Plain again.

Up ahead I could see a black and blue blur cutting through the various Kitsune, Tanuki and Kappas. Puddles of gold blood littered the path, some small and some large. Minato's been doing quite a bit of a work in a few seconds. I easily caught up to him, trailing just behind him.

"So, how's it been going so far?" I asked with a grin.

"So far? It's been pretty easy…" He replied with a sheepish smile. "I can tell that it's only going to get harder from here though." Minato cut through an incoming Tengu.

"How right you are." I grinned.

After dealing with some sprites, spirits and sparrows, he eventually got up to the level where he would be fighting against minor gods such as Kagustuchi and Inari. They put up good fights, but Minato was good enough to get through those fights with only a few singes and small tears. All I could think about was how much he had improved from when I first met him.

Then it got up to the stage where he would be fighting against the trio Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo.

"Kid, you've got some style!" Susanoo complimented, sending tornados to join with the sun goddess, Amaterasu's flames to feed them and become stronger.

"Yes, I agree with my brother." Amaterasu smiled, even as Minato nimbly dodged the incoming white flames.

A sneak attack from the dark swordsman, Tsukuyomi came to connect with Minato's sword. He obviously had anticipated the attack after watching their pattern. Even if they changed angles and positions, the way they telegraphed their attacks were the same. Fire, wind and sword. Of course, Susanoo still had a few tricks left up his sleeve, and the two other gods weren't to be easily defeated.

The storm god wrought bolts of lightning on the clouds that they were standing on, catching Minato by surprise. The bluenette only barely got away from the haywire strikes of electricity, and so he was left open to a tag team attack from a sword wielding wolf.

The moon blade was blocked by one of Minato's crystal swords, sending the white wolf reeling from the surprise defence.

"Thanatos!" The iconic death god was brought into the fight, and it began to charge at the trickster god, Susanoo. The storm god was only able to barely dodge Thanatos' vicious sword strikes. That's why he didn't expect to be hit with a Die For Me spell.

The storm god was knocked out by the Dark spell, and sailed down to knock the cloud covered ground. Minato grinned, and rushed the sword wielding wolf to clash with it.

A ball of fire started to form just above the white wolf's head, just above the red mark atop it's forehead. Minato was determined not to let that spell hit, and he kicked the beast back, straight into the waiting Thanatos.

With a smirk, the death god grounded the duo, knocking them against the barrier as well. The wolf and sword reverted back to their normal forms as the kimono wearing sun god and the dark blue samurai, while Susanoo groaned as he rubbed his head.

"Kid, you not only have style, but the power to back it up! You're pretty coolio." The storm god commented.

"Yes… you may proceed." Amaterasu stated.

"Better not lose." Tsukuyomi said with a miffed tone.

"Thanks." Minato replied with a slightly puffed out voice. Once he breathed out, he was fine though. I waved to him as the glass like stairs formed the remainder of the pathway up to the cloud barrier where Izanagi resided. I wonder how he's been doing?

"Damn Minato. You sure know how to pick them." Susanoo complimented, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh…" I chuckled. "Thanks. Now… we wait."

"You could just go up if you want you know?" Tsukuyomi deadpanned at me.

"Really? Huh. See ya later then." The trio waved to me as I ascended the stairway to the heavens. I want to break out into song. I shouldn't though. That probably wouldn't be the best thing to do under the circumstances.

As I got ever closer to the top of the stairs that led into the cloud bank, the clanging of metal, grunts, roars and charging of magic became ever louder… I poked my head through the clouds, becoming significantly wet from the condensed water. I shook my head as I sat on the balls of white, watching the battle between black and blue blurs play out before me.

"You certainly are strong." Izanagi's voice boomed.

"Thanks for the compliment." Minato shot back, pushing against the god's naginata with as much force as possible.

The two finally broke apart from the clash, jumping away from each other. Izanagi charged what looked like an Narukami spell while Minato held a shining orb with blue, red, purple and gold colours swirling within it. It was… It was like a combination of Freildyne and Megidolaon.

However, the sphere did not turn out to be a thrown bomb-like spell or wave spell like I had thought. A white focused beam shot towards the black naginata wielder, threatening to blast said wielder out of the sky. The beam was being forced back by the bolts of lightning that were summoned by the extremely powerful lightning spell, but…

The Almighty beam cut through the intense bolts of lightning, blasting the black deity out of the air, sending him sailing to the bottom of the cloud bank. "Thanatos!"

The death god was set to save the black deity once more, lifting Izanagi back up into the clouds again and setting him down on them.

"Ah… thank you." Izanagi spoke softly.

"You're welcome…" Minato said back with a grin.

"I should probably give you this since you did just defeat me." Izanagi held out the same glowing orb from before that I remembered. That gold and blue orb that contained the powers of the truth.

"Thanks Izanagi." Minato smiled. After a few moments a white light encompassed him, and he was sent off to the Norse faction.

"Ah hello Minato. I see that you've picked quite a good student," The black deity rose up to his full height. "But pray tell, why are you here?"

"I just want to see how he's going…" I shrugged.

A warmth washed over me… "Minato, something tells me you're here for another reason."

"You're right. So, have you heard of the wolf warrior, Lycanos?" I stared up into the black samurai's eyes.

"Is that who you want to fight? I can only say that I hope you don't die." Izanagi looked off wistfully.

* * *

AN: Psych! But seriously, I'm sorry for the slight cliff-hanger... *rubs head sheepishly*

Anyways, please tell me how you feel about the side arc for Richard. This is really just an excuse to get something set up that will freaking annihilate everything. Oh the carnage! Well, just to say that the Richard and Mitsuru thing's going to be scrapped, mainly for my benefit and so others don't dissent against that choice. XD

It was mostly for character development and… because I needed a reason for Richard to start breaking down already.

Anyways, other than that please tell me what I can improve!

Plz review and no flames!


	24. Clearer Roads

"I guess he must be really powerful…" I stared up at Izanagi's golden eyes.

"Minato, that's a near death trap. Are you sure that you want to fight him?" The white deity asked with a concerned tone.

"It's not a want. It's a need," I replied, shaking my head. "So I can help a friend." I added, with a down expression.

"Well… I can send you where you need to go. All you have to promise is that you come out of this alive." The white deity near pleaded. Would he really miss me that much? I don't even know him that well… Even if he does owe me his life.

"Ok. I am one stubborn bastard, so I doubt even he can kill me that easily." I grinned to which Izanagi nodded. I think that if didn't have his mask he would have a smile on his face. It was just by the way the shadows that surrounded his eyes moved that told me that.

"Well then, just get yourself ready." He spun his naginata before a blue and gold portal appeared, swirling in its various colours. I nodded to him and stepped through the door.

When I first stepped into the portal, it closed up immediately and it felt like… I was falling. It was either that, or the air around me was pushing upwards. I wonder where this leads… In a flash of bright light I felt solid ground beneath me again, and I took the opportunity to look around me.

It was mostly just pitch black, but white pinpricks of light from what looked like stars was enough to illuminate the area. The pressure that was pushing down on me was intense, and it reminded me somewhat of Richard's killing intent. However… I knew that it couldn't be it.

The killing intent that leaked out of that green eyed Universe wielder was filled to the brim with anger, fury and darkness. This force had none of that, but it still had the near suffocating pressure that his killing intent had. It was the kind of force that gave off the feeling of pure power, similar to Elizabeth or any of the other Velvet siblings.

"It has taken you a while, and the situation has become ever more desperate… but I'm glad you finally made it here." It sounded just like Lycanos' voice. In fact, it could only be his voice, since I felt no other presence that could ever be so similar to Richard's SP signature.

"I know…" I smiled softly.

I opened my eyes to find the full glory of Lycanos standing just before me.

The upper half of his build was just like a normal human's but his legs were more werewolf-like with paws for feet and he was all covered with black fur. He wore a light brown leather vest with creamy fur at the edges of its collar, and just under that, there was a brown leather strap accented with green hugging his torso. It kinda was like one of the set ups that Link had for his sword.

He wore ripped brown shorts, held up by a belt that had a silver medallion with a wolf head engraved on it. His forearms were armoured by leather straps, which held down some green cloth. Lycanos' hands were clawed, and he even had ears atop his head and two tails to add to the wolf motif.

His eyes and hair were similar to Richard's, minus the bangs, and he also had a metal head piece that covered the top half of his face, leaving only his mouth. And of course, he had his scythe, which was the same as Richard's.

"Well… should we get this started already?" Lycanos grinned, showing off his sharp teeth as he jumped back to create some distance.

"Hell…" I summoned my swords, revolvers and hat. Yeah, I've grown attached to that hat… "Yes."

My sword was clashing against Lycanos' scythe in an instant, probably as a result of effort from both of our sides. Orange sparks flew as sword and scythe collided against each other, and I could see Lycanos grinning behind the black blade of his weapon. "Make this interesting, won't you?" He taunted.

We broke free of the battle, and I shouted back with a grin, "Why would I make it anything less?"

I channelled Omega Cluster and Nova Kaiser spells into my fists, letting the SP flow through my swords, turning one of them black and the other white. I swung my swords quickly, releasing the spells stored in the sword as light and dark blades to cut through Lycanos.

I hadn't anticipated this battle to be easy, so I expected that he would block those. But it's at least nice to know that this combination works since I haven't tried that before. "Let's kick it up a notch." I muttered under my breath, encasing my fists in a Makarakarn and Tetrakarn shards.

"Heart of Zero." Lycanos' eyes flashed a light blue colour before the field was iced over. I saw it coming, and I jumped, dodging the waves of ice that were coming my way. However… as soon as I landed, my feet were encased by the encroaching cold, and I couldn't move… Dammit.

Thankfully my feet were in a stable position, so it wasn't awkward for me if he engaged me while I was still frozen by the absolute zero that was wrapped around my feet. I was certain that he would, but the question was how.

"Heart of Fire." Again, his eyes were turned orange before returning to normal, and I could only guess that this attack would be fire based. I never would have guessed. Flames rushed at me from all directions, and I decided to try this.

"Moonless Gown!" A white haze covered over me, and the licking flames were annulled by the shield. Looks like that worked… But the shield actually broke apart! How powerful is this guy!?

"Heart of Storms." White flashed in his eyes, and storms were summoned from the sky, throwing bolts of lightning everywhere. I wouldn't ever be quick enough to dodge something like lightning unless it was directed straight at me, since I would know where it would be coming from. Not the case with this electricity.

Excruciating pain shot through my body, sending my body reeling as the lightning coursed through my body. It was even more powerful than Izanagi's Narukami spell, and that was painful already! How!? Is this…

…The power of the Universe?

The raging beasts of haphazard sparks finally dissipated from the area, and the pain finally faded. Not to say that it left me significantly weaker than before… The ice finally melted around my feet, probably from the effects of the hot lightning.

"Heart of Steel." A grey sheen fell upon the wolf warrior's body, almost glinting with the light from the stars, dancing across his metallic fur. Reminds me of Iron Defence from Pokemon… Aw man…

I think it would just be best to try out some weak attacks just to see what that shield can do…

I summoned my little Pixie Persona and fired off a Zio attack on the wolf warrior, just because the haywire bolts won't be as predictable to block. Such was the nature of the fierce warrior that was electricity. To my dismay, his spinning scythe acted as a shield for the Zio spell, and I had garnered no results… so far. Hm…

I charged towards Lycanos, swords in hands. "What do you hope to gain from this?" The wolf warrior asked with a grin as he blocked my strikes with little to no effort. Overconfident… bastard…

I cast a subtle illusion to cover up the light that would have been emitting from my swords as a result of the Zio spell that was channelling through. I glared at him as the spell finished charging and the spell was released. For the element of surprise to be kept, I used my illusions to cover up the light from the lightning that was rushing towards Lycanos. Not that he would ever know how he was hit.

I was finally able to find out about the effects of the spell, and… dammit! The Zio spell was pretty much nulled by whatever shield he had up… Not cool.

"Interesting strategy. Reconnaissance before striking. A very good one too." Lycanos grinned. He's not only a great fighter… but a tactician as well!? That is a frightening combination… He could very well kill me if he got the chance…

**_You can do it, Minato._** Nyx? **_Had the threat of death stopped you before? _**Well… no?

**_You can't possibly let this mangy wolf beat you… can you? _**… Not if Richard gets himself killed because of his emotions… yeah. I can't. I chuckled to myself before I felt a rush of power surge through me…

"Hm…" Lycanos gazed at me with a calculative stare.

A blue light surrounded me before equally ocean-like mist poured out from behind me. "Let's get 'em Tartarus!"

**_"I was wondering when you were going to summon me."_** Tartarus grinned before turning his attention to the wolf warrior.

From his gloved hands, black chains reeled out, wrapping Lycanos with their undoubtedly tight grip. If these can trap even immortals, then I think this should at least hold him for a while.

"Whoo. I'm glad that worked," I blinked once or twice at the voice I was hearing in my head. It was Minato's… but how did he contact me? "Oh, you're probably wondering what happened. I just got a cool power from Black Frost," Black Frost? He gave the teleportation power to me… He always seems to give really useful powers. Hm… "I can talk telepathically to other people… It is pretty cool. You can do the same."

_That is really useful._

"I know right? But are you doing something right now?" He asked with a serious tone.

_Yeah, I'm in the middle of a really difficult fight right now._

"…Maybe when I'm done I can try to help. It would give me a chance to fight against that god too."

_Well, hopefully I can hold out for that long. He is extremely powerful. _Hopefully that Heart of Steel spell will wear off sometime while he's trapped in those chains.

"I know you can. You're my onii-san. After all… 'onii-san's coolest of the cool,' right?" I heard him chuckle as he finished that sentence.

_…Yeah. This time._ I grinned to myself as I felt some SP fall away from Lycanos. _For sure, I'll try._

I heard another chuckle before I felt silence reign in my head again. Tartarus had disappeared for now.

This wasn't just a battle for overpowering the other now. This was also one of surprise and strategy. Goddammit, I may be the leader but even I'm still not that good at thinking on my feet! This kind of stuff only works when I have a team! Not that my illusions will do any good, I mean… they aren't real!

Why am I not thinking of anything!?

I looked up and saw that the metallic sheen that Lycanos had previously had disappeared, but the chains were beginning to crack.

"Hey, do you have any tips for beating Lucifer? He's…" I heard Minato cough. I could only guess that he had been hit a few times by the fallen angel already. "He keeps on spamming Megidoladynes on me… It's annoying…"

_Hm… When I defeated him, I had actually gained a new Persona in the heat of the battle. Try this spell…_

"I'll try… I might not have gained that Persona yet… but I can try." A cracking of glass alerted me to another link level. What? I should have been done already…

"Minato-nii… What was that new Persona you got?" I could almost feel him as if he was grinning with a winning smirk.

_Messiah. Why?_

"Messiah. Nova Kaiser." I blinked once or twice before I felt another surge of energy fill me up. It was familiar… and I hadn't felt it in such a long time… It must have been a year…

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast established a link with the Universe Arcana…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when fusing weapons and Personae of the Universe Arcana…**

…Since I've felt another Social Link form…

Let's see. "Last Word."

Lycanos smiled. "Heartful Cry." Like the song?

Echoes of what seemed to be Almighty energy clashed against each other, but they didn't seem to be letting up on each other. The white light of Last Word twisted and coiled around the blue and red light of Heartful Cry, which was threatening to break through the barrier of the Almighty spell I had called out, as a result of the rush of Universe Arcane energy that was flowing through me.

Well, I can still try to use the Makarakarn barrier if it does break through…

Wait, what!? The white light broke through and ripped the colours of Heartful Cry to shreds, hitting Lycanos full force. Not that I'm complaining, but how!?

"What…?" Lycanos got up quickly from the force of the Almighty skill, but it was clear that he had been hit hard, regardless of how weak that spell was compared to a lot of other Almighty skills.

"Lucifer gave me the power to use Omega Cluster and Chaos Element." Minato cheered.

_I love Omega Cluster. Do shit to YHVH for me, won't you?_

"Um… why?" The bluenette asked with a small laugh.

_Devil Survivor. Why?_

"You got it Minato-nii." I could feel as if he was grinning.

"I don't know what power you gained, but right now…" Lycanos readied his scythe with a growl. "You still can't defeat me." And he charged. This is the first initial melee attack I've seen from him…

I braced myself for the strike, ducking as he swung his scythe. I dodged it by a hair, thankfully. I took this opportunity to slash one of my swords through his stomach, and while he may have dodged the majority of the strike, I saw a sliver of gold blood come off as my blade rounded.

Lycanos growled in frustration before coming at me again with his scythe. As I readied myself to dodge his next strike, I felt another surge of energy that increased my speed and I was able to get out of the way with ease. More power…

"How did you put up with this guy, Minato-nii?" The bluenette addressed me as I jumped away from Lycanos' scythe.

_I didn't. I unleashed as much rage as I could at him towards the end. It was fun._

"Then you won't mind if I utterly destroy him, right? Oh did I mention? I can send you my emotions as well." He told me, as if it was nothing and he was merely waving the gesture off.

_Do it. Can I send my emotions back at you as well?_

"Well… I can feel your utter rage and determination, so I guess so." I could feel him grinning again.

_Cool._

With the last statement, another glass shattering alerted me. More power…! As if I was getting faster… _"Nothing can stop me!"_

I heard Minato's voice at the same time as I thought that, and I could only begin to grin as Lycanos tried to catch up to me. You're not going to win Lycanos.

I began to swing my swords in a combo, sounding out the song 'Ebony Wings' from my blades. Lycanos was only barely dodging my blows now, and droplets of gold Ichor were flying through the air as I came at him. _"You can't keep me from winning!"_

My thoughts exactly Minato.

Was I moving that fast? I saw a flicker of navy blue drift past me as I felt my hair loosening until I found that my locks were moving back against the wind when I was dodging backwards from Lycanos' SP powered fist and scythe. I'll have to pick that up later, when I'm done kicking Lycanos' ass of course.

Lycanos growled again, even more wolf-like than before and I felt some SP surges emanating from him as he stopped moving. _"What's he planning?"_

"Heart of the Wind." Green cutting gales were rushing at me in droves, to which I responded with a Makarakarn to block the Wind spell. However, the mirror didn't reflect the slashing winds as I had expected. No, they cut against the gold glass regardless. Thankfully, they still nulled the effects of the spell, and it shattered into a powder-like substance as it resisted the wind slashes.

But… why am I getting this feeling that he's holding back? This is strange…

"Light Heart." Echoes of light energy rolled off Lycanos' ebony body, and all I knew was that something big was going to happen that I didn't want. I gritted my teeth as I braced myself in case I couldn't stop it in time for the attack to hit me.

"Celestial Ray!" Gold beams of energy went out to meet Lycanos as he charged, crashing into him full force. However, while they did seem to cause some damage to the wolf warrior he was done charging. _"Oh shit…"_

No kidding! But how are our thoughts so synchronised? It's very strange… Not that I'm complaining. "How're you doing Minato-nii?"

_Um… I'm about to get nuked. Why?_

"Same here…" I heard him groan.

_Can we continue this after we get rid of out impending doom, or at least not get so fucked up by the explosion that's coming our way?_

"Yup." I could just visualise the defiant grin that he had on his mug. If he's going to get through this… _"I am too!"_

"I wonder why I haven't tried this yet," I grinned to myself as I readied the pocket dimensions that contained my other older swords. "I must be stupid." I mused out loud. One sword, two swords, three swords, four swords.

Fool, Magician, Priestess and Empress. Brisingr with its blue flames ignited, appeared in Lycanos' stomach, burning and stabbing through at the same time. Esperacchius and Fidelacchius appeared next, just a few centimetres off from where the fire sword had plunged through. Iceflame came frosted, and came through his stomach as well.

Lycanos glared at me before trying to release his spell, a pale yellow light engulfing the area and almost hitting me. _"You're not going to get me that easily!"_

I summoned four more swords, the Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers and Chariot. Or as they were also called: Lightning, Subtle Knife, Amoracchius and Rhindon. They weren't used for stabbing as the other four were. These ones were used to cut through the light that approached me.

I even readied a Makarakarn just in case.

Like I had predicted, some of the Light energy that was supposed to get to me was still out to get me had crashed against the golden mirror I had erected, but under the force, it shattered to pieces but hit me for a lot less damage.

"That was exciting." Minato commented sounding a bit tired out.

_I almost got totally nuked. Are you almost done with YHVH yet?_

"I have him on the ropes. I think that last shot took a lot more energy out of him than he had wanted." I could practically hear the grin that he was probably wearing right now.

_Cool… Better finish him up quickly…_

"Will do." He agreed.

I heard a few grunts from Lycanos as I heard metal scraping against bone. He was really pulling the things out!? And… from that defiant look… he's nowhere near done.

"Black Heart." I could only assume that the spell that Lycanos called out was a Dark skill from the name, and if it was anywhere near devastating as Light Heart I didn't want to be hit by it.

Tendrils of dark purple reached out to meet me. They were pretty much like shadowy tentacles that were threatening to spear me to pieces… So, no. I didn't want to be hit by them.

Once the sharpened shadows were a few metres away, I cut them down to pieces. That was damned satisfying. The wolf warrior glared at me before making a feral grin. Just like a wolf. A vicious one at that.

He didn't say anything when he charged at me with his scythe this time. No calling out of spells, whatsoever. His once black scythe was glowing in different colours, passing by and mixing with each other as more and more colours piled into the blade. Red, blue, yellow, green, purple, white and silver came into play, until they finally started to shine white.

When he swung his scythe, it left white afterimages trailing after it. So no. I couldn't dodge. It was clear that he had been holding back for almost the whole fight now. What can I do?

"Minato-nii, I'll be coming soon!" The bluenette called out with what I felt to be a grin.

_Thanks!_

But I seriously couldn't dodge them, and I was getting nicked, if not slashed every which way… I tried to bat the strikes back with my swords, but it just wasn't working! And as more seconds flew by the pain I was now feeling was only increasing with no sign of stopping. Come on…!

I threw up a quick Tetrakarn to try and block back his blade, but no. It pierced through the silver barrier like paper, ripping the mirror apart and making the splitting pieces nick into my skin as it broke apart. Why is he so powerful!? Urgh… I hate it… Even if that's me being whiny, I can't stand knowing that I'm not the strongest around! Who would protect Minato and Minako…?

Lycanos suddenly stopped moving, and I didn't know why. It was until I heard my otouto's enraged voice from behind the wolf warrior. "Don't touch my ani!"

He had the iciest glare I had ever seen, even more powerful than mine. Its full force was directed at Lycanos. It was the kind of glare that could freeze something instantly in unbreakable ice just by looking at something!

A low growl was starting to erupt from his throat, and I finally noticed, coming out of the shock of seeing Minato that two blade tips were sticking out of the wolf warrior's chest and stomach.

"Was I late?" His glare softened near instantly, and he even had a smirk on.

"Just in time." I grinned back.

"Um… can you pull these out now?" Lycanos asked with a sheepish grin as Minato's glare intensified if that was even possible… "Please?

"Since you asked so nicely..." My otouto scoffed after quickly pulling out his two crystal swords.

Lycanos grunted as he too made his way out of the sword's blade, coughing out some Ichor onto his hand. Or paws. Whatever. "For the love of Lupa you guys are ferocious, you know that?" He complained, "But I know for a fact that you can't beat me. It's not me gloating. It's the truth, being another Universe Arcane wielder." The wolf warrior explained with a solemn stare.

"That won't stop me from saying that if you two…" He pointed at the two of us. "If you two had worked together from the beginning, I think I would have lost. No, make it near certain." He complimented with a grin.

Minato and I looked at each other and thought about it for a while. With that new telepathy power he gained from Black Frost, we could make the ultimate tag team… A near unstoppable force… that not even Richard could stand up against. I don't think I even had this much synergy with Minako… It's amazing, and a little bit disappointing. I think I have a sister complex. That's just great…

"I have something that you two could make use of." Lycanos held out his hand to which two black cards started swirling around in a circle inside his grip.

The both of us were wondering what it was, but one thing was for sure. Incredible, no. Infinite amounts of power were surging from those two black cards. I had the hardest time fathoming what the hell it could be. Imagine how hard it would be for a normal person to understand?

"These two black cards can allow you to make use of the Universe Arcana as a part of your strength," No we both did not understand what that meant. He probably read our confused looks because he began to explain what it was. "Using the Universe Arcane is a one-time thing. One use. This can allow you to integrate the Universe as a part of your own power, giving you unimaginable strength."

So… if I used it I wouldn't die? That's… amazing… Minato seemed to share the same thoughts as he shared a look of bewilderment with me as we locked gazes. "But, I don't technically have the Universe Arcane yet." The bluenette stated.

"You already have its steadily growing powers within the both of you. Because of that Social Link that you both share." That Social Link… It's between me and Minato again. After the World…

"That's…!" Minato's eyes widened as he looked up at Lycanos. "With the Universe just about anything is possible. Now imagine if you had more of those…" Lycanos had a feral grin smeared across his face.

Multiple… Universe Arcana… I absolutely cannot hate Nyx anymore… Not after this… Maybe I'm power hungry… but… It just seems like a huge reward. After going through near unimaginable pain you finally gain something above ultimate power… It's just…

"Thank you."

Lycanos blinked once or twice at what I just said before he smiled. "I want you to save your world just as much as I want you to save Richard. It's just my selfish request and I'm asking you to do this for me."

"We're going to do that, for sure." Minato and I stated at the same time. At this, we grinned at each other. If we were the same age, I think anyone could swear that we were twins or something like that… With the amount of synergy that I share with him… I had no doubt in my mind. It was a little frightening, but it was still pretty cool…

"Thank you. I suppose I better send you back now." Lycanos rubbed the back of his head before a white light engulfed the area, taking my consciousness with it as it disappeared.

Goddammit… Thanks so much Lycanos…

Once the blinding light faded, I tried to open my eyes. But of course before that, I rubbed them, because they just did not feel like opening. I was back in the Velvet Room in the same position as before. But it was needless to say that I was feeling refreshed because of the sleep I got. Even if my wounds did still hurt, but it wasn't that bad. I silently cast a Diarahan spell before looking over at Minato.

He too opened his eyes and looked around, his gaze darting around before it landed back on me. "So, what are we going to do now ani?" He asked with a faint smile.

"All we can do now is to try to use our Universe Arcana powers now, and train with them until we get comfortable with the feel," I scratched the back of my head. "Speaking of new powers, what else did you get?"

"Um… I got Myriad Truths, Chaos Element and Omega Cluster, Telekinesis, Illusions, Yggdrasil and… Double Up." He listed the powers he got on his fingers.

"What's Double Up?" I asked with a curious gaze.

"I get double of whatever I ask… so double speed in an instant, double the defence, or double the power… in Persona attributes and my power so yeah." Minato explained. Oh, that was the double force power that I got from Jupiter.

"Oh ok." I nodded.

From then on it was basically spending a whole lot of time in the Concert Hall after that, and taking periodic breaks in-between fighting sessions. I could safely say that the both of us were over level one hundred now. What a relief that was…

It was in one such fight that Minato and I discovered something incredible. Something that I was certain no-one could stand up against. No god could.

"Ragnarok!" Minato's white flames came in contact with my swords, and I blocked it off easily, reflecting it back at the bluenette's blade. The hilt of my blade was growing warmer, and Minato's Cipher blades were shining a bright white light from them.

Maybe it was just an accident, in fact… I'm certain it was an accident. That we both would end up smashing against each other with our swords in a blade clash.

White sparks flew as we struggled against each other, until another bright light covered the interior of the Concert Hall.

"What the heck happened?" I looked around before I heard another voice in my head.

"What are the requirements for fusing weapons again?" I heard Minato say.

Wait. Um… You need to super heat both items… and then smash them together with great force.

I… looked down at my swords, and they were different. They looked like Mukou Mugen, but they also looked like Cipher. They were fused together…!

"Oh Thanatos/Orpheus, what the hell!?" Minato and I shouted.

**HEY DON'T SHOUT AT US!**

Two… of Orpheus… and Thanatos… "What!?" Minato and I yelled in unison.

"Let me sort this out." I whispered to myself.

"Take your time." Minato replied with an exasperated tone.

Our weapons fused… Minato and I can hear each other just fine as if we were in one… single… body.

Fuck.

Not to mention, we have two of the same Personae, even if they are different. Did we fuse together too?

"Why are you so smart?" Minato whined.

"You can hear my thoughts?" I sat down on the ground, crossing my arms. Wait. My arms?

I looked down, and noticed that my arms were metal again. Both of them in fact. What? We need mirrors. Now.

With no objection from Minato, I got up to go to Elizabeth's room and stood in front of the mirror.

I was wearing something completely different, but ok. I was wearing my dark blue hoodie vest over a white collar shirt with a navy blue ribbon tied around. Kinda like how Minato does it. My hair was same as normal, and so were my eyes. I would've thought those would have been the first things that got changed, but alright.

Anyways, my pants were light blue jeans, and I was also wearing my navy blue belt, with a second that appeared to be a canvas belt that had all of the badges that I had bought with my hoodie. Attached to that white belt was also my silver pocket watch. Yay.

"Minato?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't tell if the gloves are armour or not." I smiled sheepishly.

"Uh from what I can tell, it's armour." Minato replied.

"Ok."

Next to note is that the armour I was wearing was just like my old arm made from my Orpheus and Thanatos Personae. However, it only looked like that up to the forearms, and the rest was more like Thanatos as the clothing on top of that was black. There was one thing that I knew was very different to my old arm, and that was the hole that I found to be in the glove.

No. I don't think this is armour. It's not like a prosthetic either. It's almost as if… our Personae were actually bonded to our very own skin… I could feel something that made my arms a lot heavier. Like metal, as if was cold… I guess I'll just have to see what happens later.

Lastly, my… our MP3 player was hanging around my neck, just under the collar. Like usual.

"So, who wants to bet that our bodies, weapons and Personae were fused together?" Minato asked with a sarcastic tone.

"I think I would go with that… but now's the matter to decide how we're going to work this shared consciousness thing out." I rubbed the back of my head.

"You mean… are we actually going to use this form?" Minato asked with a small amount of curiosity. I bet he already knew the answer.

"Well, yeah. If this is the result of having our powers combined, then this form must be extremely powerful… With this I think we could even defeat Lycanos, near easily." I replied with a smile.

"Well, I'm fine if you control our movements in this form since you have been doing this longer than I have. I can make up plans and stuff while you fight… And we could even ask each other to switch around if we need to if we need rests or something," Minato spoke his thoughts with a calculative tone. He's the thinker huh? I am more of an instinct guy. "And, if we really need it and we practise… I think we could combine our efforts to create more powerful attacks."

"That's a good idea. I'm fine with it. So, this is how we're going to work this form?" I asked with a tone of finality.

"Yeah. I think we better go train with this for now. Let's go back to the Concert Hall." Minato stated with a cheerful tone.

I think that's the best we can do. Once we figure out how we can combine our powers to make them more powerful, we can try to figure out how to separate too…

"Yup we need to do that too. You know what?" Minato asked with a playful tone.

"What's up?"

"We need a name for this form." I could almost see him smiling.

I chuckled as I opened the door to the Concert Hall back up. "I see. Well if there's anything to say about this form, I think this is about as powerful as we can get without involving another Minato." I smiled.

"Perfect Minato." The bluenette suggested, but it seemed more like he was set on that instead of actually bringing it up as a choice. But it was pretty sweet, and I wouldn't be able to come up with anything better.

"That's cool." I complimented with a grin.

I could hear the swishing of what I thought was fist pumping, and chuckled as I blinked my eye and held up our new swords in my hands. It looks different… "Can I name these?" I asked Minato.

"Sure. I already named our form, so yeah."

"Mukou Meikai." Infinite Clarity. The hilts were clear crystal again, but the blade was more like a light sabre. The blade was the colour of starlight.

"Just like Mukou Mugen, but with 50% more clearness." Minato teased. "But I like it Minato-nii."

"If there's anything I can name, its swords." I grinned to myself before swinging the swords in a combo and ringing out the song 'Underground Ruins' from it. Obscure? Well, it's from Okamiden.

A few hours later… Minato and I were still practicing in our Perfect Minato form.

_You ready? On my count! 1… 2…_

_"…3!"_ Minato and I shouted at the same time, even if it was still in our heads.

The Nova Kaiser that the two of us had released was of utterly huge proportions, and even was even brighter than any other Almighty and Light spell that we two had cast. By combining our SP pools, we would use the same spell at the same time, and the rest was history. Needless to say though… we were tired. Sleep.

_"We still have to figure out what we have to do to separate." _Minato reminded with a yawn.

_"True… Let's say… If we're most powerful when we're thinking things at the same time… then what about we think about nothing for a while?"_ I suggested.

_"That could work." _Minato mused.

We shut off our thoughts from each other, and I could feel our SP pools tearing apart until I couldn't hear him anymore…

"You are so smart, you know that?" I complimented with a grin.

"So are you ani." My otouto grinned back.

"We better save Richard. Once we rest up." I smiled at Minato, and yawned a little after that. Minato followed along with my yawn. Yawning is contagious, isn't it…?

"I see you're finished with your training?" Eli-chan interrupted us as we stepped into her room.

"Yeah. I think… we can get through this." Minato replied with a grin, even with his sleepy gaze.

"How wonderful! Would you care to grace me with your presences in the Concert Hall after you sleep?" Elizabeth smiled. It was one of those incredibly cute smiles you get and you just can't refuse it.

I looked back at Minato who nodded. "Alright. After we wake up."

Eli-chan beamed, and bowed before running off to… who knows where in the Velvet Room.

When Minato went to sleep, I was still awake though.

All I was doing was looking up at the ceiling, waiting for the moment that my eyelids to finally grow heavy enough to go to sleep. It just never came though…

It was until I felt a familiar pulling that was forcing me into my mindscape. Instead of the sunset that was filling up the sky of the school before, it was night time. The sky was a navy blue, with a few patches of black and tiny white pin pricks of light gracing the atmosphere.

There were a few violet clouds being lit up by the pale yellow light of the full moon drifting lazily overhead on the warm zephyrs that passed by. It was beautiful, rivalling the beauty of the sunset that had filled the sky before.

"What did you call me down here for?" I asked in a feathery tone to the black winged Night goddess.

**_"You were having trouble sleeping," _**Nyx replied simply. **_"That's all…"_**

That's what she said, but I couldn't help but think there was an underlying reason to this other than just trying to get me to sleep. Though… it has been a while since I've felt like staying awake instead of drifting into a peaceful slumber… I guess I can't completely rule that option out yet.

"Is there something wrong?" I walked closer to where she was sitting. I was now standing just in front of her. "You don't usually call me down here just for a reason like this."

**_"You're right… I suppose." _**It feels like the same atmosphere that surrounded me when Nyx first admitted to me that she loved me. It pretty much felt like I was drowning in an ocean, with almost no air whatsoever.

"Hey… You can tell me." I sat down next to her, taking hold of her hand.

**_"It's just that I've been thinking about the Fall again…" _**She squeezed my hand a little bit tighter, heating both of our hands up. **_"And… I'm still troubled by what I did to you…" _**Her pale blue eyes came to meet mine.

I knew how I felt about Nyx, even if I didn't say anything to her. But sometimes, actions speak louder than words.

Nyx's eyes widened as she realised what was happening. At first she didn't do much as she was still in that state of shock, but she started to move again with me, deeper into the embrace I had pulled her into. It was a mind-numbingly searing lip lock I had brought her into…

Everything just felt so warm… and it wasn't like I wanted to stop since she seemed to be enjoying it too… It was taking every inch of resistance I could muster not to do anything more than just that.

After what seemed like forever, we broke out and her cheeks were still flushed.

"It's alright… I should be the one that's sorry." I replied… my voice barely more than a whisper.

**_"But…" _**She tried to protest more, but I held my finger against her soft lips.

"No. If I didn't hesitate, neither of us would be in as much pain…" I looked off wistfully. "Everything would have been over for you and you wouldn't feel anything like this."

**_"That's… But it was my fault that I did that…" _**She stared down the ground.

"I have to wonder what I would have done if I was in the same situation…" I smiled as I imagined it. "I might've done the same. That can't possibly be your fault."

**_"Minato…" _**Her sky blue eyes stared into mine, glazing over with tears. I was probably staring into her eyes for the longest time. That's probably why I didn't expect the hug and embrace she gave me next.

It wasn't long before either of us started moaning into the kiss. Why does something that feels so nice only have to end in tragedy…? But then again…

Maybe that's why I'm having no reservations with her either.

I fell asleep after that…

"Minato-nii." My otouto shook me awake with a slight amount of it and a smile.

"Oh hey Minato." I grinned back as I crawled out of the bed and got dressed.

"We better go to the Concert Hall." The bluenette reminded me.

I nodded back slowly before following him out to that said room.

Inside were Elizabeth and both her siblings. "Thank you for joining us." She said with a winning smile.

"We just wished to have some goes at singing with you before you both go." Theodore explained with a slight smile.

"Now, shall we begin?" Maragaret finished off, gesturing to the stage.

Minato and I nodded, making our ways up there. Me? I had an electric guitar and a microphone while the other bluenette had a silver flute. Eli, Theo and Mar took their places with the violin, drums and keyboard respectively.

One, two, three, four…

_Daijoubu ore ga nanman kai mo sakende yaru  
Kimi no ashita ga subete kagayaite iru to shinjiteru  
Yume o kanae ta subete no hito ni kasanariau kyoutsu ten  
Akirame naka tatte koto soredake sa maken nayo _

_Mukaikaze ni nagasa re kujike sou na toki wa  
Kono te nigire TRY TO MAKE A CHANCE mou  
Kimi wa hitori nanka janaize _

_Motto motto mae e mae e kimi no IKA shita yume akiramenaide  
Sou naitenai de susume MY WAY ima  
Kimi o terashiten da hikari  
Akirame nanka zenbu sutete tsuyo sa to hikikae ni mata kizutsuite _

_Demo kimi no massugu na hitomi ni wa  
Ima mieru daro hikari _

_YOU CAN DO, DON'T GIVE UP. YO, WAKE UP!  
Akeru subete no asa ga so THAT'S FOR YOUR LIFE  
Ame no hi, hare no hi, inochi no hi  
Moeru honoo wa CHANCE to onaji i_

_NOBODY KNOWS TRUTH AND FUTURE sou sa  
Kotae wa KOKO ni aru, ALWAYS IN YOUR HEART!  
Ashita o shira nu kono sekai sa mayase kokoro o BELIEVE YOUR HEART! _

_Ima wa kitto naite CRY DAY bokura tsuyoku wa naishi yowasa daite  
Demo karasanaide ame ni saita hana  
Kimi o tsutsumikon da sekai  
Kanashimi nanka itsuka kieru namida to hikikae ni mata yasashiku narukara  
Kimi no massugu na hitomi ni wa  
Ima mieru daro hikari _

_Ookinakaze ni fukarete yureta  
boku no kokoro no oku no chiisana yume  
Michitan no hana ni jibun kasanete  
Tobe nu sora o miagete hitori de naita _

_Ah! Hane wa naikedo  
Mou bokura hitori janai  
Boku ni tarinai mono wa kimi ga  
Kimi ni tarinai mono wa boku ga  
Kasanari awaserya mugendai  
Ano hiroisora ni mo te ga todokuze!_

_Motto motto mae e mae e kimi no IKA shita yume akiramenaide  
Sou naitenai de susume MY WAY ima  
Kimi o terashiten da hikari  
Akirame nanka zenbu sutete tsuyo sa to hikikae ni mata kizutsuite _

_Demo kimi no massugu na hitomi ni wa  
Ima mieru daro mirai!_

In nothing but a shared nod, we knew that we had to go after that. We have to get Richard back on track.

* * *

AN: Welp, that last power was what I was building up to. XD

It was fun to draw at least, and now both Minatos are ready to kick some ass up in here! Richard's going to be in for it now, but even he's not going to go down without a fight against the Minato duo. And before you ask, what happened with Nyx is something I'm leaving up to your imagination, though when I was writing it I didn't intend anything lemony or whatever. That's something someone else can deal with if there are ever any more MiNyx pairings, because there are pretty much, none. I could count how many fics that have that pairing with my fingers. There's that little. T^T

Also I just found out that I may have been using the family honorifics wrong, but I'm not going to be bothered to fix them until I rewrite this whole thing, so yeah...

Anyways, hope you liked what you did with the chapter.

Valvatorez: I don't know, I honestly don't know. But you're here now, so that's ok!

And I guess I should put up the new key for writing... It has gotten kinda complicated.

_**Minato's coolest of the cool.**_- Nyx, Tartarus or other Titans

_Minato's coolest of the cool. _- Song or (17)Minato's conversational thoughts with (16)Minato

_"Minato's coolest of the cool." _- Both Minatos saying something in their mind at the same time

**Minato's coolest of the cool. **- Personae

Plz review and no flames!


	25. Those That Are Tormented

_01/01/10 Late Night_

"Do you feel his SP signature yet?" Minato asked as we left the tower of Tartarus just before it turned back to normal time and the school reappeared.

I nodded with a solemn expression before teleporting my Reaper clothes back on, still blood stained. "We better stop him…" I stated, teleporting near the hill that he buried Sally on.

Hopefully this will be the time that we'll be able to stop him. From what I've gathered he's been keeping something… something bottled up inside him, that has been simmering dangerously for the past few years, it's been eating him up inside and if we don't stop him, he likely to try and kill himself again. Whether his attempts are going to work is debatable… but I don't want to take that chance.

The night would have been normal if not for the killing intent that was boiling inside Richard at this moment, disrupting all peace in the air of the solemn hill. The night was clear from where we were, but storms were brewing up in the sky where we were, lightning crackling overhead.

Heart of Storms… His emotions affect what spell he's going to use I see… The other ones I should be expecting are Heart of Fire and Heart of Zero… Maybe some other ones.

"What is it?" Richard growled, seeming as if he was trying to keep something under control.

"Us." I stated simply.

"What…makes…y-you… think you can beat me…?" The voice grew even lower, coming menacingly close to the tone that he used when he was close to breaking out of his chains again.

"Because there are two of us." Minato glared down Richard's back.

"I see…" I could pretty much hear it; the sound of chains and the sound of shattering glass. Not from a Social Link but from something much, much… darker.

"Infernus…" Richard grunted in what seemed to be pain and anguish before razing fires erupted before our eyes. No way… were layers of his skin burning off!?

_The fires aren't being put out…_ Minato observed with a sense of urgency.

_I know… We can't take chances here. We'll change into Perfect Minato if we can't handle him for now. _I replied as I dodged out of the way of more black and white flames that were roaring in my direction.

_Last resort? I see. _Minato agreed, and proceeded to jump over the growling flames of Infernus, trying to get closer to Richard.

Richard wouldn't allow that though. Lightning struck unexpectedly where Minato was about to step, and he was only able to step out of the trajectory of the wicked lightning at the last second. Minato recovered just as quickly as he had stepped back out of the way and made his dash to Richard's location.

I better go. "Moonless Gown." The milky white veil fell on top of me, allowing me to charge through the fire and the flames to his place in the middle of the ring of flickering black and white unscathed.

With a silent nod, we rushed at him in a tag team attack with our pairs of new swords, slashing at him in complete synergy. This wasn't something that we practiced at all. We were so naturally in sync that we would be able to know what we were going to do next. This was our power.

Richard was grinning, spinning his scythe to deflect our strikes. It wasn't one of those maniacal ones like he had before when I first didn't know what to expect. This was one of those competitive grins that I really liked.

_"Hopefully we'll be able to pull him back, or we can just beat him down until he'll listen."_

Isn't that right… _"Partner?" _

"Heart of Fire." A scarlet flash appeared in Richard's now grey-green eyes.

_"We better get ready." _

Blue-white flames poured around the battle field like haphazard acid on skin, burning through most of the grass that matted the ground. He really likes using fire doesn't he?

His eyes turned back to grey-green, and with that opportunity after breaking through the flames, Minato and I finally managed to score some substantial cuts on him. It feels like he's trying to resist whatever power has taken hold of him however he can and battling back that dark power's influence with his whole will.

He's nowhere near done it seems… Not with that maniacal grin that's crossing his face. "Raging… Flames…!" His eyes were fluctuating between green and red, but the scarlet ultimately won out, and grey flames were sent at the two of us. We both got off relatively unscathed, but a few wayward embers managed to find their ways onto our skin, stinging them slightly.

"Why does he like using fire!?" Minato called out in a half-joking and half-worried tone.

"It's a long story." I replied simply, dodging even more grey, white and blue flames. He just won't keep using it though… This is something that he really shouldn't be using… Maybe that's what his locket was holding back. His Shadow. That's probably why he hasn't started using Lycanos at all…

Laughing madly, he sent even more streams of fire to spiral at us but I realised. His flames were going to hit the tombstone! I threw a Makarakarn barrier to reflect the grey fire, and they were sent back at him.

What I wasn't expecting were the white and black flames coming at me again. Shit!

I managed to dodge the brunt of the devastating fire spell, but the white and black managed to catch me on my sleeve. Without even coming into direct contact with my flesh I could feel it burning away anyways… Freaking hurts…!

A splash of water came in my direction, and Minato was razed by the white and black fires as well while the Aques spell put out the flames. "Minato!" I gritted my teeth, coming over the pain, and threw an Aquedyne spell his way without much pressure, washing over him to put out the searing heat.

Richard was scowling at us as I could see his skin coming back. Infernus… it uses his skin as a sacrifice but the problem here is… it keeps on regenerating… That's freaking crazy!

Minato coughed a few times before giving me an assuring smile and charging at Richard again. "Storm Soul!" Emerald lightning poured forth from his fingers, controlling the haywire bolts as if they were the strings that controlled a puppet.

Minato managed to dodge most of them, but that wasn't to last as a green lightning bolt was about to head straight into another shocker. "Panta Rhei!"

The gales pushed Minato out of the way of the green bolts. While he did lose his momentum, something about that electricity told me that you absolutely did not want to end up on the end of those strings.

_Thanks. _He replied before he activated Double Up and crashed into Richard from the burst of unexpected speed. Before Minato could do much more, his scythe appeared to swipe Minato away, and while he did dodge, he was about to land into another pit of fire.

I rushed to catch Minato before he could burn himself again, and landed safely on a patch of dirt. "Thanks… ani…" Minato smiled before a look of pain passed his visage. That earlier manoeuvre must have aggravated his burn wounds…

"Salvation." I cast the healing spell on the both of us, trying to at least take away the pain until Richard attacked again. My wounds were starting to heal up a little bit, while my otouto's grimace was starting to relax a small amount.

This wasn't to last as waves of Almighty energy came rushing towards us in the form of a distorted Heartful Cry spell.

_"Shit." _

The red and blue melded together into a pale violet colour, and I tried to battle it back with a Last Word spell. The white and purple clashed in a huge explosion, throwing tendrils of SP everywhere onto the surface of the charred ground.

But seriously… I can't use Salvation anymore… Of course we have one more heal for this fight from Minato, but this is pushing it…

_We can both still fight. _Minato grinned slightly before struggling up to his full height.

_Are you sure? _I asked with a look of concern on my face.

_Who the hell do you think I am? _He shot back with a smirk, swords in hands.

I merely rolled my eyes in response, readying my swords as well. I wonder why he hasn't attacked yet… "Gleipnir!" Not knowing what this new spell is doing, we immediately braced ourselves. Aw crap.

Minato and I were trapped in a single chain binding us both together, so my otouto couldn't move. Well… I teleported out of the move's grasp, but Minato was still trapped. What can I do…?

Shit!

The chains started to encroach onto my feet, but even as I kept moving away, they kept following me. No way, they're moving even faster than before! They moved like snakes, barely black blurs slithering on the burnt dirt.

Crap… The chains caught me! As much as I tried to struggle out of the silver chain's grip, they just wouldn't budge…

_Ani, I think that chain can only go for one person at a time! Let me see if I can stop him, since I'm freed up now. _Minato explained with a determined attitude.

_You go do that. Just don't leave me hanging for too long, he's starting to make the chains rise up into the air and… yeah. _I replied with a joking tone.

_Very funny Minato-nii._ He responded with a sarcastic voice.

The chains were beginning to squeeze me tighter, almost beginning to crush my bones in a display of excruciatingly severe pain. Almost like an unforgiving boa constrictor. The creaking of my bones was alerting me to the fact that they are in fact becoming completely crushed by this unrelenting grip. What the!?

The grip of the chains was slackening, allowing me some breathing space for my pained lungs and for me to take some breaths of relief before they started wrapping around me even tighter than before if that was even possible. Is he just… playing with me!?

Dammit… I can't do anything! And it just fucking hurts all over… Minato… hurry…! Please…

The chains were moving again as if trying to make sure that I wouldn't escape before I was slammed against the ground in what looked like an attempt to grind by bones to a fine powder. Well, it's working if that what's you're going for!

I coughed out some globs of blood after shouting out in anguish, dribbling it out onto the hard dirt underneath me. Shit… hurry… What the!?

I was thrown about again, not into the floor this time. I caught a glimpse of Richard's crazed eyes as he swung me about in the grip of the chains, towards Minato… Why you little…!

Minato's eyes widened before catching me in his grip with a look of desperation until he grinned widely and wha…? He threw me in Richard's direction, knocking me into him and making him slam down hard on the ground. I could feel the chain's grip loosening before I could finally breathe again and Minato's SP started flowing into me as a Salvation spell.

Oh god that feels so much better… but I don't think we'll have enough time to heal my bones fully… it's just like having a whole lot of gritty sand inside me, and there was pretty much no way I was going to be able to stand up even with the burning pain numbed…

"Minato...nii…" My otouto gasped out. "We don't have much of a choice here… do we?"

My eyes widened. No way. Not right now. I don't think he's even showed all of his hand yet! I shook my head. "No… not now… he's not even close to…" I coughed out some blood and spit it on the blackened ground. "Showing off the rest of his hand…"

Minato grew alert as a shot of blue fire came our way, and he picked me up and jumped out of the trajectory of the stream of blue.

_Are you sure? _He asked with a distressed tone.

_Very. _I replied tiredly.

_I'll just have to keep healing you with Diarahans until then I suppose. _He responded before more SP flooded my system, and I felt enough strength to begin healing myself with a Diarahan myself.

_Watch out! _I warned as I felt more grey flames rushing at the two of us.

_Sorry in advance! _My eyebrow rose as I wondered what he was talking about until I felt no support beneath me and I was heading towards the ground. Oh. That's what he was talking about. Thank Thanatos that they were healed a little bit or I never would have survived that fall.

_I'm ok! _I gasped out as I tried to stand myself upright, breathing heavily as I realised I lived and didn't crack my bones again. _"Victory!"_

Minato grinned at me as a burst of SP from him hit me full force and, I felt absolutely no pain anymore. _Thanks._

_No problem ani. _He replied with a cool and confident tone.

I bumped my fists together, and cracked them. He is so going to pay for breaking every fucking bone in my body. Twice. Thrice. Three times. I'm surprised they didn't turn into fine powders or something.

I grinned, baring my teeth before realising my hat's missing. Oh shit. I need to find that first. _All over that. _Minato smiled, my hat floating on top of my head until it just plopped down. Telekinesis. Awesome shit.

_Glad you agree. _Minato replied, charging towards Richard again with a determined expression. Wait, why is he only using one of his arms? It's just hanging there limply… Maybe it's because he used that Gleipnir chain form before… So he has to sacrifice his arm for this one.

"Gorgon…!" One of Richard's eyes was squeezed shut, blood seeping out steadily from the corners of them. A bright white light pierced through the both of us, and then…

_Ani… you can't move can you? _Minato grunted, clearly not liking this situation.

_No, I can't. _I replied simply, disdainful of the situation like dark struggling through a losing battle against light. Though… this time the lighter side of things is losing… Richard walked towards us with a distorted scarlet gaze in his remaining eye and a wide grin. The maniacal kind.

Why can't I move!? Is it because of that light that pierced us? Oh fuck no…!

He walked towards Minato, and I could at least see his cyan blue eyes darting about for an exit. It was no surprise to me that he was becoming extremely distressed, but I'm still more worried about what's going to happen to him…

Wielding his scythe, his white grin flashing in the remaining darkness he stopped just in front of Minato's trapped form and held his scythe just behind the base of his neck. He made no move with it. It was almost like a dare. A sick, twisted kind of dare.

Minato gritted his teeth together for a strike that never came. No.

Richard merely knocked his form down onto the charred, caked ground. I tried to shake out of that damned spell's grasp, but it just wouldn't work! The hold was just too strong… And I know what's coming and I can't fucking do anything about it! No… It was the same helplessness that I felt as I watched okaa-san being attacked. No…

Hot tears were streaming down my cheeks as I waited for the inevitable cries of pain. Which I couldn't stop. It was futile. Futile was what my struggle was.

"To try and end my damned existence, I went through all semblances of pain just to try and die." Richard's voice was deadly low, bordering a wolf's growl.

"I've tried everything from breaking all of my bones, to burning myself and to stabbing myself in the heart. But no…" I saw his form rise up slightly from Minato. "I was cursed by some trick of fate to go on living through my pathetic life, with no way to die," His scythe's blade was pressed against his neck. "A life without her… A life without Sally. A life…"

"Not worth living!" He shouted with finality.

"That's why… I'm a monster, a demon, whatever you'd like to call me. I'm a crazy pyromaniac, most of all… I'm a murderer." He laughed for several seconds before the crazed look in his eyes reappeared as they both re-opened.

"This world can go to hell for all I care! It's not like I'll be missed. In a rotting world like this, nothing is fucking worth it." He stomped on the ground, creating small quakes as his feet slammed down into the earth.

Bullshit. Not like I could say it out loud though… If I could, my body would be trembling. Maybe it was because I was scared, and maybe it was because I was crying. But whatever the case, it wasn't going to stop Richard from inflicting all kinds of pain on Minato. My otouto.

I heard metal scraping against bone and a sharp gasp from Minato before Richard started talking again. "That's right… fucking feel my pain dammit!" He laughed before that same sound occurred again, but I could feel Minato desperately trying to keep his cries of pain as muffled as possible. Richard's laughing only became darker and louder before he talked. "You can't hide your pain from me forever…"

More of the same sounds just over and over again… I wonder if my being so in sync with Minato's emotions was a bad thing now… I can feel every bit of pain that Minato feels, even if it wasn't actually happening to me. Every twinge in his ripped muscles, every crack in his bones seeping with blood, and all his thoughts that are flooding through my mind… I feel that too.

_"Why am I so weak right now?" _We thought together, in about the same amount of pain.

"Oh, I'm nowhere near done. This is just me getting started." Richard growled with a small amount of pleasure.

A slam and crack rang out, while Minato was doing his best to make his incoming shouts as muted as possible. They were starting to leak out, and I could begin to hear them… No way… He was stepping on his bones!? The warm stream of tears that was incessantly flowing down as I couldn't accept the fact that I could do anything to help Minato dripped on the ground, staining the charcoal-like earth.

There was something even worse about watching someone being tortured. It's the feeling of futility that you won't be able to stop whatever is happening. I watch, I look on, do nothing. As much as I want to just… shout out for him to stop, shout out for him to even try doing it to me instead, never putting the ones I love through any more pain…

The harsh cracking was only the sound of this bones being crushed to pieces, shards piercing his lungs making it hard to breathe, and the sounds of Richard's manic laughter and Minato's desperate gasps for air.

The same rasps that were grating against Minato's chest were filing into mine too as more bones were mercilessly crushed, Richard's Shadow revelling in fact that we were both able to feel that same pain as each other in near equal amounts. Is that why he targeted Minato? Would he even know who the source of the telepathy was?

Each of his bones was broken to pieces three times in each. They were sharp pains, and the feeling of the ivory framework's fragments grazing against each other was just more dull pain that we had to deal with. Now that the layering torment was intensifying, Minato's gritted grunts were only becoming louder as more bones were shattered into miniscule chips.

Richard chuckled darkly before he began to speak again. "Let's turn this up a notch."

I swear my heart skipped a few beats as he said that. What the hell could he do to make this even worse for the two of us!? "Storm Soul." He stated simply, effectively answering my question as green electricity poured forth from his fingertips, zapping Minato almost jokingly as he shocked my otouto intensely before giving him a period of rest, repeating the process over and over again.

No, his body couldn't even jerk around because of the hold that light had put on us right now. Why not me instead!? No… that anguish should be mine… _"Not his…" _

I'm the one that pulled him into this mess, why not me…? It's my fault…

Numbness took over my body from the constant periods of voltage exposure, not that it made the situation any better… Why am I so goddamned weak right now!? I can't even stop this of all things from happening! _"It's my fucking fault!" _

As if Richard wasn't laughing any louder, his guffawing was increasing in volume every time that Minato was being electrocuted. "Seeing that anguished face of yours just gives me a rush of energy you know?" He laughed louder before his voice was brought back down to a lower volume. "But I'm nowhere near done."

"Heart of Zero." Mind numbing cold breezed through the area, barely missing the persimmon tree that sat near Sally's tombstone. My feeling returned from the pain I was feeling from when Minato was electrocuted to near death earlier, but the cold was already beginning to nip away at my fingers and freezing the tears that were still coursing down my cheeks, and frosting the little sprouts of grass that were still left even after he burned the majority of the staunch matting off the hill.

His unhinged expression was still crossing his face, and…

A spire of cold ice speared through Minato's side, straight through that still warm flesh, the tip of the warm blue pike tipped with scarlet liquid that I only knew to be blood. It had that same smell as I was expecting and the air was filling up with the pungent stench of iron at the same rate that Minato's yells were growing louder…Which was becoming increasingly fast.

It was just happening all over his body, retracting out of the holes that the spears of ice just made, and letting pools of that iron-filled liquid flow out of them like no tomorrow. While the ice might've been cold, the speed at which they were able to pierce through was so fast that no. It wasn't cold at all. It was the kind of feeling that had the ice searing away at your skin and that it felt even warmer than it was supposed to before that sharp intake of heat flees like a phantom.

Minato's ever growing shouts were echoing throughout my mind and ears, almost tearing at my soul. No-one deserves this kind of agony, ever… As brutal as I can be, I finished off my opponents quickly, and near painlessly… It was just sharp pain and then they're gone. No-one needs this anguish, especially not my otouto… Add to the fact that I can't fucking do anything and this torture didn't end up being just for him… It was my pain to bear too…

"Your screams are even more enjoyable to hear than I thought! Let me hear some more of them!" Richard bent down, dispelling the frigid air around us. What the hell is he going to do next…?

Minato's pained screams weren't able to be contained this time, and they were ringing out with full force. Richard's bloodied fingers were digging into the wounds that were made earlier, scratching against them and pushing through, no inhibitions whatsoever. No, I think he lost grip on those long before he started to do this…

He was breathing heavily, trying to keep his grip on his consciousness. How the hell is he even lasting this long!? Not him… not my otouto… Why even…? My new tears were melting through the old, cold ones from before…

Richard's sharp teeth glinted as if a spark of inspiration hit him. No, what now…!?

"Heart of Fire." He grinned before blue flames burned away at Minato's skin… Luckily this only lasted for a few seconds before they stopped, but that didn't stop him from howling out in complete, total, suffering.

The searing heat was only aggravating the pain that he was feeling even more as the tiny embers of the pale blue fire lit up the ground around him with an eerie hue.

"I see you know what I'm feeling… But there's just one last thing that I have to show the both of you…" His tone was dangerously low, almost giddy with glee as complete utter shadows filled the area. "Absolute Darkness." His threatening voice echoed about in the inky blackness before images of all of my friends, including Minato's filled it up.

My eyes widened as I saw flashes of blue and black zip around in between the spaces of our friends before I recognised them as they stopped moving. They were images of the both of us…

No, what the fuck are they doing!?

With our cyan eyes shining a light blue, they walked around slowly with the figures of our friends doing nothing but just standing there like still statues… Until silver glints appeared in their hands, and were shoved into Bebe's and Kaz's stomachs and chest respectively. All colour must have been draining from my face at that moment, as I realised what they were doing. Maybe I was even crying, but would that matter!? I would be trying to cry out for them to stop, but the simple fact was that I couldn't and that it wouldn't stop the illusion…

The crimson liquid of our friends were pooling everywhere, Rio, Saori, Toriumi-sensei…

Their blood was mixing together on the floor in a huge mess as the shoes of our images were becoming stained with that red fluid, only being further painted scarlet as they stepped around the falling corpses of our friends…

Minato's image stopped with Yukari, and mine stopped with Mitsuru's. With final stabs and cuts those figures fell too. I felt my heart skip several beats before I processed that my phantom just killed Mitsuru. Mitsuru of _"all people…"_

Minato thought at the same time, even though his shaky thoughts were still faint. He was thinking the same with widened eyes as Yukari's body fell to the surface… My thoughts were becoming blank.

They were only brought back as I heard another sickening sound of metal into flesh, and I saw the remaining two images with their knives sticking out of each other's backs. Did Minato and I just… _"kill each other?" _

Whiteness was painting our minds right now, and my Personae were becoming restless inside my mind, begging to be used. Especially Thanatos, Orpheus Crescendo and Messiah.

They were banding together with Minato's Personae, and I could feel power flooding my mind.

_"No-one hurts my brother, especially me!"_ We shouted in our minds at the same time, our resolves to protect each other joining to create a new power…

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**Thou hast broken through the ranks…**

**The powers of the Universe Arcana bestow upon you…**

"Ultimate fucking power is what!" Minato and I shouted after breaking free from the hold of the light with grins.

The darkness faded away, revealing Richard standing behind that edge of ebony. His red eyes were widened, not knowing what the heck was going on as he saw us two standing beside each other, Minato's wounds fading away.

Minato and I clashes our swords together and the same blinding light that I saw when we first tried this fully dispersed the shadows that engulfed the hill not too long ago.

I opened my eyes again, gripping Mukou Meikai in my hands.

"Who are you…?" Richard's eyes were fluctuating between his normal eye colour and crimson.

"We're Perfect Minato." We declared together as a flash of fear appeared in his eyes.

"I'm Minato." My otouto yelled with a grin.

"I'm Minato." I shouted back with a smile.

"That's who we are," We stated together, pointing my sword to Richard. "And you're going down."

I charged towards Richard, Minato activating his Double Up skill and giving me a burst of speed and power. I swung my swords in a sequence, brewing up a song called 'Stirring.' We have no idea how we knew what this song was, but it just seemed right, and that was what played.

He was barely able to keep up with my attacks so far with his scythe, and we weren't even anywhere close to our limits yet. When you have two Universes it's only natural that one Universe is going to lose… Not just one Universe, but a Universe Arcana in reverse.

Constantly spinning it and blocking my attacks without any chance to attack back, we upped the ante a little. Or a lot.

I smiled to myself as I increased slashing speed, now getting cuts onto him with my blades before I found an opening to stab him in the stomach with both of my swords. He glared at me intensely grey flames formed in his hand to which I responded with a Bloody Honeymoon spell to his face and hand, churning him down to the ground with the devastating water spell.

"Orpheus!" The two Personae appeared, one black and the other, red. The musicians started to play 'Never Too Late' on their harps, weakening Richard from the notes that were pouring from their instruments.

He clutched his ears in an effort to keep out the sounds of our Personae's harps, but it was this opportunity that left him open for our final attack.

"Omega Cluster!" Minato shouted. "Nova Kaiser!" I said at the same time, focusing the opposing spells into one powerful spell that we called, "Contraforce!"

The golden light crashed into Richard, knocking him down onto the ground unconscious.

Thank Thanatos… _"It's finally over…"_ Minato and I separated from our Perfect Minato form while I quickly teleported my Reaper clothes back on and Minato moved my hat back onto my head. "Thanks." I nodded at the bluenette who nodded back with a smile.

Richard woke up, pressing his hand against his forehead obviously trying to find out what just happened to him. His eyes widened and I knew that he finally remembered what had just transpired here. He scrambled back onto his feet with a scared expression that was obviously directed at the both of us.

"No… what did I do…!?" His now green eyes were becoming glazed over with tears as he looked around the hill, but breathing out in relief when his eyes reached the top of the once green hill. It was probably because both the tree and the tombstone were completely untouched by the chaos from earlier…

Minato was about to step forward, but Richard backed away with desperation marring his face. "No, don't come any closer!"

Disheartened, Minato stopped his advance and stopped with a gloomy expression. One of the things that I hate is not being able to help a friend… It feels just like you're leaving them alone…

"Just… don't…" Richard stopped inching away, watching us both with a doleful expression. "Please… you have to kill me, please…!" The green-eyed Persona user looked to us his tears softly shining as they coursed down his cheeks. "Save everyone else…"

"We're not going to kill you." Minato stated firmly, even though there was a small chink in his armour that told me that he was depressed.

"Why!?" He shouted at the both of us. "You could all live and…" He turned away from us, as if not having the heart to be able to face us. "I could go where I belong… in Hell…" Richard gazed up at the sky, and I could only imagine that look as a look of longing.

"No. We won't." Minato whispered as he shook slightly.

"Shut up!" He roared.

"You may have lost your parents but I watched mine die!" The look in his eyes was trying to turn crazed again. "My parents were tortured to death right in front of me!" It was slowly becoming distorted again, and the locket around his neck was quaking again. "My little brother and sister killed in a fire I accidentally caused!" His voice turned deadly low as he whispered the next sentence. "It killed… Sally…!"

His Shadow's influence was slowly taking over again as the crimson in his eyes was being battled back by what was left in his green irises. His left arm was starting to shake, only being stopped from moving by the grip in his other hand.

"That's why… I'm a monster, a demon, whatever you want to call me. A murderer…" His shoulders shook as his eyes were averted to the ground. "No matter how it happened… please…" Richard looked up at the two of us again, his forest green eyes glassy with that familiar warm water. "…Kill me…" He finished with his voice small and meek.

"That's not murder," I started softly. "That's fucking manslaughter."

Minato's eyes widened as I took off my hat and bandages. Richard's face was one of complete shock as he realised who the Reaper actually was. "No. What I was doing was murder." I glared right back at him with the blue glow making my glare all the more eerie.

"If anything, the one who shouldn't be alive is me." I stated darkly, my killing intent forcing him back.

"Richard." It was Ray's voice, and I could feel several SP signatures trailing after her. I quickly put my hat back on, wrapping the bloodied bandages loosely around my head as I felt them get even closer.

She walked up to him with an unpleasant gaze before shaking her head, "You guys sure are noisy."

"Ray?" Richard stuttered, obviously not expecting her appearance. "What are you doing here…?"

Ray sighed, pulling something from a pocket in her leather jacket and forcing it onto Richard's wrist. "You better not take that off if you know what's good for you. And don't give me that 'you should die' crap."

Her voice turned quiet. "I know you better than that…"

Richard's distressed face turned to one of questioning as he eyed Ray. "Footsies." She looked up at him with a victorious smirk before his face quickly turned to a dusting of pink.

"How do you know that...!?" He cried with distress.

"That's a trade secret." Richard's eyes only widened further, now not knowing what to think of it.

"But… that's my line…!" He looked at her shocked.

"I know. Richie-kun…" Her smirk only turned smugger as she used a flirty tone.

"Why do I feel ok with you saying that…?" He mumbled to her.

"Dimension hopping's cool and all, but I'm more of a…" She turned to me. "Dimension memory transferral kinda girl. Makoto's appearance kinda clicked something in me… made me know who you guys were."

Memory transferral? Maybe my presence here's been doing more than I'm thinking… Huh.

Ray had finished explaining, and Minato told me that it would be best if I didn't look at what she was doing since it was a bit more private than I would think. I asked him what he meant before he simply said that they were kissing. That moment was like: Ohhh. Ok.

"Ray…?" Richard's inquiring tone was one mixed with a slight amount of bliss.

We felt that it was safe to turn back around before we saw the rest of SEES just behind the two wolf Persona users.

"Oh thank goodness… I felt a large amount of SP and I didn't know what to think…" Fuuka breathed out several sighs of relief.

"What is everyone doing here together?" Aigis asked with a mellowing wondering tone.

"Especially with the Reaper guy." Junpei added.

"You guys don't…" Richard was about to start but Minato stopped him with an intense glare that could freeze ice. Again. "Richard was being an idiot." My sarcastic otouto deadpanned.

"I can't be wherever I want to be?" I asked with a slight smile.

"No… it's just that you're the Reaper. Why the heck would you need to be here?" Akihiko asked.

"To answer your question…" I grinned. "Richard was being an idiot." Minato rolled his eyes at me but held his hand up for a hi-five. I returned it still wearing that stupid grin.

Richard looked at the both of us with an indignant expression. "Hey I said for you to call me any of those, not an idiot." No killing intent whatsoever… I guess that wristband that Ray gave him must have done something to hold it back, not to mention that he doesn't seem as sad… I wonder how that happened so quickly.

"Uhuh." I waved off his interjection.

I pulled out my silver pocket watch, and checked the Dark Hour time. "The Dark Hour is going to end soon. You guys better get going." Mitsuru and the others nodded, promptly turning heel and leaving.

"It looks like we finally stopped Richard." I sighed in relief as I stared at the moon.

**_Yes… Very true. _**Nyx replied with a wistful tone.

I sat down, leaning against the back of Sally's tombstone, thinking about what Richard did. I'm still not over what his Shadow did to Minato… My otouto…

"That just shows how much you care." A phantom-like presence brushed against the side of my cheek. My body froze up, wondering what just happened. It was actually a warm presence that I could feel, and it was strangely familiar to me, even though I knew no-one who had given me those feelings before.

I finally looked to my side where I knew she had settled and was graced with a presence that I thought I'd never see. That auburn hair and her sapphire blue eyes that glinted like the gems they were in the milky moonlight… "Sally?" I asked my voice barely more than a whisper.

"That's right…" She smiled at me, and it was only a smile that reminded me of Minako… Maybe it's because of the slight resemblance between the two but that's what it felt like to me…

Her hand touched my cheek, the warmness that I thought to be unusual of a ghost such as her. But… it sent shivers down my spine as memories flooded my mind of Minako's touch…

"I just wanted to thank you for helping Richard be put to rest…" She smiled kindly.

"It's… nothing…" I was still trying to process how much she reminded me of my imoto… my warm-hearted imoto…

"You tried very hard for him. That couldn't possibly be nothing." And her words… they were putting me in high praise just like she did. It was hitting me just now how much I missed Minako… Constant phrases of her encouraging words were echoing in my head, and I could feel the corners of my eyes filling up with tears again.

"If… you say so." I replied simply, not knowing what else to say except for what I always said in response to that.

"Do I remind you of someone?" She smiled.

"How do you know?" I asked, gazing at her with a questioning look.

"Your eyes. They tell me a lot of things." Sally replied.

"Your eyes… they tell me that you've been through a lot of pain…" Her silken voice was flooding my mind, a little sad but it was still the same. "That you regret a lot of things…" Just her words alone were breaking down my barriers one by one, crushing them out of existence until I knew that I was pretty much laid bare to her gentle gaze.

"That you're cruel… that you're kind…" My hands were clamped shut and shaking as she told me what she thought. "That you love so many people…" A lump was forming in my throat as she continued. Do I?

"That you doubt yourself a lot, but always display the utmost confidence in other people when you don't have it in yourself…" How much does she think she knows about me just by looking into my eyes?

"You're funny sometimes and you're serious a lot…" That I can't argue with too much I suppose… "You care about others more than you care about yourself, especially when it comes to the ones you love." Minako always said that sometimes I needed to be a little bit more selfish… I smiled as I reminisced in the ocean of memories that was engulfing my mind as the waves were disturbed.

"And a lot of people care about you even though sometimes you won't accept their help to keep them safe." She didn't quite sound like she was finished. "You would go through hell just to see them safe and go through all kinds of suffering…" Sally smiled sadly.

"You're a lot like Richard." Sally looked up at the moon.

"You're a person haunted by torment just like him. But unlike him, you're still under that cloud aren't you?" I nodded slowly, not having much energy to do much else as I was trapped in nostalgia.

Her touch again on my cheek… It was warm, gentle and kind like Minako's… I couldn't help it…

I lightly pressed my hand on hers, feeling her soft presence further becoming swamped by the state of rapture that I was caught in. Out of the corner of my eye, I only saw her smiling, feeling that it was ok for me to do that. I gingerly squeezed her hand tightly as I remembered more times with my imoto…

"Even heroes need to rest sometime. Contrary to popular belief, they aren't unbreakable and invincible… You can stay here for as long as you like… I won't be going anywhere soon." Every one of her words was hitting me full force, but I felt that her last statement was supposed to be a little bit of comfort for me and perhaps a little bit of a joke.

But really, I was sighing in relief. I just wanted to stay for a while… and forget about my worries for a little bit of time… She laughed quietly before resting her head on my shoulder.

That touch… it was so familiar… I briefly wondered whether this was cruel fate giving me a small reprieve from my troubles… And I kept my hand lightly pressed on hers like before.

She smiled before taking off my hat, and removing the bloody bandages off my face that were hiding my face from her. I allowed her to do so with a small sigh of freedom as the last inch of the loose ribbon left and was placed just next to me on the ground.

"So that other thing that I saw wasn't a lie either." She giggled before stroking my hair.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You are really attractive." I blinked once or twice in surprise before smiling a little bit as I felt a small amount of heat rush to my cheeks.

She started to caress my cheek tenderly, and I don't care right now if this is making me moan or whatever… but her touch was unlike any other, and it could only be compared to Minako's… It was far different… to any other person that had done the same…

I sighed as I relaxed fully, relishing in that strange and mysteriously soothing touch… "I'll always love Richard with all of my heart, but I'll admit that you do look pretty cute," She joked. "Are you really blushing that much just from me talking about it?"

"Maybe I am." I replied, growing drowsy and warm as I sat.

"But really… I'm forever grateful for this…" Her lips kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you."

I smiled in response, teleporting my Reaper clothes home. "Like I said… it was no problem." I stood up, readying myself to teleport back to the dorm.

"And… thank you Sally…" I whispered softly before going back.

* * *

AN: And so, the 25th chapter is finished. This one took a long time to write, and I hope you can see why. As much as it was fun to try and write out, it was also very difficult.

Hopefully you guys like this chapter, and I know that Ray's explanation was kinda flimsy but most of this is actually on a whim, just like her second involvement. And hopefully somebody I know doesn't get angry at me for involving Sally like that. I promise that when I rewrite this sometime, everything story wise will be fixed.

Anyways, hope you liked what I did with this chapter.

Please review and no flames.


	26. Seeping Darkness

_01/01/10 Morning_

There were only a few things that could be said about yesterday. It was… sobering to say the least. How funny that the beginning of the New Year is the one time that I get some real rest this whole journey. Maybe it isn't that funny, but I find it a pretty big coincidence. I wonder what I'm going to do after I go back to my world… It's something to think about.

But all I wanted to do today was just sleep, think… dream among other things. I think I can sleep a bit later. It's pretty light outside. I could see the pale yellow light was pouring into the room from the window that was just behind the study. I wonder how Richard's holding up after yesterday. You know what? I have a better thinking place. A place that was razed by fires in moonlight… I wonder if that place has an actual name.

Too much wondering to do. Best do it there.

I pulled on my usual clothes with my hoodie, still in pretty good condition if a little singed since it was still under my Reaper clothes. Fire never felt so destructive before… The worst it got was it was filled with an unprecedented amount of wild energy that's difficult to control, somewhat like lightning. But the different fact about fire was that it was controlled more by your will; your own fire. Unlike lightning which was still more of an element of nature and cold.

Fire is such a strange element, I pondered as I put my ribbon up into my hair.

_Ani? You up? _ I could easily recognise Minato's voice now. Whether it was a good or bad thing was still a mystery to me since the reason I could recognise it so well was from his cries of anguish, from last night.

_Yeah… why? _I asked, opening up the door to go outside where I could feel his exceptionally strong SP signature.

"Just asking… Richard went out already," Minato shrugged it off. "Probably asking more about Ray since she has been a bit mysterious to him lately. Especially since last night."

"What about last night?" Junpei asked, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yeah, what about last night?" Yukari asked, clearly dressed for the day.

"We have a feeling Richard and Ray are a thing now." Minato answered for the both of us.

"Damn it, we missed it!" Junpei whined.

Yukari merely rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Minato. "So, you're ready to go?" She smiled at Minato who nodded back with a slight smile before taking her hand and heading downstairs.

"I'll never understand how he got Yuka-tan of all people." Junpei sighed, looking pretty dismal.

"Oh. When he first came here I think she already liked him," Before Junpei could ask how I knew why I answered with, "I was one of the newcomers with him, and we came to the dorm just about together."

"Oh…" He nodded sagely, processing the information. "Well, I've got Chidori-chan so I've got nothing to worry about." He grinned before going back into his room. Maybe he's going out today as well to go with Chidori. She was always strange, but she has a pretty natural charm around her. I have to wonder how Junpei, of all people, managed to catch her eye…

I shook my head out of my thoughts, easily teleporting out of the dorm to Sally's hill.

It was a nice and peaceful place before Minato and I fought Richard. No doubt that's why he picked that place to bury Sally. After all, I knew that place to be pretty isolated and nobody really came to that hill anyways. He picked a good place…

Before leaning back on the tombstone, I looked over the city of Iwatodai. Unusually, there was quite a bit of fog carpeting the city; the sun's rays would hardly be able to pierce through the thick blanket of stone fog to reach the inhabitants. But from here where it was high up, there was no such thing as the mist. It would be a good place to just rest…

I sat down at the back of the stone, leaning against it as gently as I could.

What would I do? Assuming that I manage to find the… lack of heart to kill Nyx… I don't know. I would probably want to spend the rest of my days with Mitsuru… I sighed heavily, breathing out a small cloud of mist with my breath. Even if the fog wasn't able to somehow claw its way up here it was still cold. Such a large contrast to what the environment here was like before.

The ground beneath me was a little trimmed down and rightfully so since the fires had reached quite far. The tips of some of the stalks of grass were blackened while others weren't, as staunch as ever and green. The old couple's persimmon tree was unharmed by the fires, if covered with the ash of several blades of grass at its roots.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" It was Sally's familiar voice that I could hear.

…Silken and smooth like it was before.

"Maybe…" I replied. Perhaps my fatigue was really catching up to me today, since that came out a lot softer than I had intended.

"What's wrong?" Sally's spirit settled down next to me, still carrying that familiar warmness about her.

I smiled at her, as tired as I was feeling. "You shouldn't be straining yourself too much. Hm, now that I think about it, I never really caught your name." She laughed a little, embarrassment lingering in her voice.

"Yuki Makoto… or Arisato Minato. Whichever one." I answered, feeling heaviness leave my chest as I leaned back further on the tombstone. People had been calling me Makoto for so long now that I had taken it as another one of my names. Reaper, Master of Tartarus, whatever… Even though Minato was my real name. I can't possibly be losing to my own game can I?

"I see… they're both pretty names. Sincere snow and harbour." She nodded to herself with a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Why don't you tell me your story?" Sally asked, leaning her head on my shoulder again just like she did last night. I sighed, getting ready for a long speech.

"Let's start… Actually this is becoming so long ago to me, I'd be damned if I could remember every single detail," I chuckled to myself. "But I'll try to remember what I can." She nodded slightly, that small smile still painted on her face.

"This was something like a decade ago for me," I began, closing my eyes as I tried to remember what happened. "On the Moonlight Bridge my parents died, and it was just me and my sister back then." I was wracking my head for more information, the only things coming to my mind at that time; death and my arm. So that was what I told her, and she nodded slightly with a frown coming across her face. Probably from the arm part. If I was normal I'd probably be wondering about it too. But I'm not, am I?

Not me, a Universe wielder like Richard and Minato. "Some parts of it I just wasn't remembering, but I know that I can recall someone who we would come to call 'okaa-san' took the both of us in." Weapon fusion and Skill Card creation was what came up in my mind next, and I could remember that okaa-san was the one who taught us how to do it. That's what I told her about next, and how Minako made the cards and I made the weapons and armour. Not only that, but the reason why.

"Looks like someone was an over-protective onii-san." She smiled, gazing up into my eyes.

I chuckled a little bit. Maybe a little too over-protective perhaps? Times with my okaa-san were still kinda hazy, but I knew enough to say that I knew that hanging out with her was plenty of fun. Pretty much any time of the day… I told her about how I met Mitsuru and how we formed SEES, also meeting new people who would also join me, Mitsuru and Minako. That we met Akihiko and Shinjiro while we were at school and how we joined up.

And then, the part where okaa-san was attacked and I basically went on a rampage to kill as many criminals as I could came up. Sally's face took on a sad smile, as if she was remembering something. Maybe from what Richard's Shadow was saying… I think she might've been remembering that. I wouldn't be surprised.

"It took about two years until I came back… but okaa-san was dead." Why am I not crying about this? I should've started tearing up a while ago… Why not…? Have I thought about it that much that my tears have dried up for this already? Why can't I? Why not?

"Hey… come on. You aren't done are you?" She smiled a little, reminding me that I was supposed to be telling her what happened. Not to think about it. I nodded slightly and tried to remember what else happened.

"Yeah… after that we joined back up with SEES again, getting some new members." I restarted telling the story again. I told her about Junpei and Yukari, and about how we were defeating these really huge Shadows. Next was to tell her about the new members we got along the way, like Koromaru and Aigis. And then…

"It turned out that the Shadows we were defeating were actually part of Death and that she would bring the Fall, or the end of the world." I chuckled mirthfully at that. I told her that we did manage to stop the Fall, but right as I was about to kill the goddess that was bringing that Fall she sent me to a different dimension.

That she blinked several times before coming to a conclusion. "You mean, you were sent here?" Sally asked with a worried tone.

I nodded. "No wonder you're so tired… so you went through all that again? Even with the help you had…" She stroked my cheek again like she did earlier, and it was still as soft and warm as ever… Just as nostalgic… "Do I remind you of Minako?"

I nodded weakly, reminiscing once more. Drowning in more and more onslaughts of memories and filling my head with more and more thoughts of home. I just want to go home… Home to my friends… With my sister and my Mitsuru…

"Hey… You're going to see them again, right?" She asked with a worried smile, taking the tears that were forming in the corners of my eyes with her as she caressed my cheek gently.

I'm going to right? I don't know. If my relationship with Nyx was any indication, I have no idea if I would have the will to kill her. Not her… Not that Night Queen… "Hey… look at me…" I sighed and looked back at her, tears still forming in my eyes.

She gazed into my eyes with a gentle look. A mesmerising one that I couldn't help staring into… After a while of exchanging stares she… whoa.

She gave me a hug… "I'm sorry I can't help you… Minato-kun…" Sally smiled sadly at me, running her hand through my bangs. "It's a tough decision. But if you really want to see your friends again then you're going to have to do what you have to do, ok?"

I know. I know. And I can't do anything about it. A night queen that has changed the way I think. This is my night queen; she destroyed me before creating me anew when she sent me here. I… I love her…

"You're stuck. Even after all this you still need help don't you?" Sally smiled softly, tracing my cheek with her hand… It was probably that familiarity that caused me to shiver at her touch, breathing out heavily again… I was left to wonder whether it was out of pleasure or just out of pure longing. Maybe it was a combination of both. My sighs created more mini-clouds in the air, despite the warmness that was just now smothering the cold and crisp air that surrounded the hill.

"Yeah…" I sighed wearily. "I do… I guess I'm just too weak willed to kill her…" I chuckled ruefully.

"No… that just means you care about her," A wistful expression appeared on her face. "In a world like this, maybe we do need more people like you. It's just wishful thinking on my part but sometimes..." She sighed. "I just wish that people were as kind as you and Richard are."

"I'm not kind," I shot back, forcefully. "I only care about my own friends, as selfish as that might be."

"Huh, you're right. Being selfish isn't always a bad thing. In and out of that, you do care about each of them a lot." She grinned.

Am I just going around in circles now? I can't decide. I want to go home. I have to kill someone I love. Why did I make this so much harder for myself? Just decide. But I can't. I've never hesitated on someone's life before. It was either I wanted them dead or I didn't care about them.

I nodded slightly in response to what she said though after I realised that I might not have been saying something in a while.

"Well… anyways even though you're still thinking about all this, you're still tired aren't you?" I nodded slowly as she settled back down next to me, leaning her head on my shoulder again.

"Then you should sleep Minato. I can keep you warm," She smiled slightly before closing her eyes. "It should also be a little warmer here since the sun can reach us…" She trailed off, going to sleep. If a ghost could sleep.

I guess I could just drift off… I smiled before leaning my head back onto the tombstone, the cool stone making it even easier. The only thing that I would change is how soft it is, but I've handled worse before.

As soon as I began to sleep though, Nyx's sobbing was keeping me from getting a little rest. It wasn't like I minded though. She must've been hearing everything after all…

**_"Minato… I'm sorry for keeping you up… I'm sorry…" _**She continued to cry, crying her heart out. If she had a heart that is. I took this as a sign to enter my mindscape again.

"It's fine…" I smiled, walking over to her and gripping her hand gently as her hand slowly clenched mine. It was a different feeling to Sally's touch, by extension Minako… I felt like I should be there for her. I felt like I couldn't be with her. I felt like I couldn't fall in love. But that was the problem. I love her. She loves me. I have to kill her.

**_"I shouldn't be feeling like this. If I cared about you I would let you sleep in peace…" _**She shook her head, her voice becoming ever so soft.

"If I didn't care about you I would leave you alone. But I do." I replied, a small smile creasing the corners of my lips. Yet, I knew that my eyes would probably still be holding that sadness within them. It was something I noticed when I was away from home, when I looked in the mirror… My eyes weren't fully cyan like they usually were when I was actually happy. They were a mottled darker blue to normal… It was kinda like how Minato used to have his silver eyes since he had lost faith in the world. When his real emotions were awakened they returned to what seemed to be his normal eye colour. And he still holds onto that faith which is why his eyes are so vibrantly azure.

My dulled eyes looked back into Nyx's, hers slightly reddened from her tears. No doubt mine were too since I was crying not too long ago. "Let me try this again." I sighed, breathing out.

"You come to me, you with your problems and you tell me this will be the last night feeling like this." I wrapped my arms around Nyx, keeping her close.

**_"I didn't want you to see me cry… I'm fine…"_** Nyx protested, more tears glazing her eyes and coursing down her cheeks.

"But, I know it's a lie…" I replied, shaking my head.

"This is the last night you'll spend alone," I looked straight into her eyes, with a reassuring and determined gaze. "Look me in the eyes so I know you know." Her gaze turned away from me slightly as she wiped more tears from her cheeks, but it didn't return.

"I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go…" I tried to soothe her, hugging her a little tighter as she turned her head to meet my smile. "I'm everywhere that you want me to be…"

"They don't know you like I know you; they don't know you at all…" I tried once more, thinking about my friends. No-one else knew the true nature of the night queen. My night queen… My one and only…

**_"I'll be okay, I'll be fine…"_** She retorted, her tone not convincing at all. Heck, she was crying even more.

"The night is so long when everything's wrong… If you give me your hand…" I smiled, trying to keep my own tears that were welling up back. "I will help you hold on…" I reassured once more, running my fingers through her raven black hair. "Tonight…"

"This is the last night you'll spend alone, look me in the eyes so I know you know. I'm everywhere you want me to be…" I tried to take on another determined expression, but it just wasn't coming, my face only taking on a slight smile with rivers of tears flowing down. "This is the last night you'll spend alone, I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go."

"I won't let you say goodbye, and I'll be your reason why…" I continued as I wiped off more of the tears that were coursing down her cheeks. "The last night away from me…"

_Away from me…_

I hugged Nyx tighter in my arms, making sure that she was feeling warm even as she kept on crying. "You're fine Nyx… You're ok…"

**_"I'm not… I can't…" _**She stared down the ground before looking back up at me with her azure eyes.

"Look. I can't help it and neither can you… but there's one thing I know for sure," I shot back. "I love you… and I can't help it…"

Her eyes widened, still glistening from the droplets of water that were falling from them earlier. **_"Minato… Why?"_**

There are so many reasons, some of which even I still don't know of. I couldn't possibly count the reasons why I love Nyx… They're all so vague, and so unstable. They shouldn't really tell me why I love her, but they're the things I like about her. The things I love about her.

"You care. You care more about my feelings than you should." That was probably the biggest reason why I loved that night queen. Even before she started actually liking me, she showed concern for me even though as a Titan she shouldn't. Not a higher being like her. But she did.

"The fact that you're the most beautiful person I've seen is only a plus." I smiled, the tears I was trying to hold back earlier starting to well up again.

She began to blush as I complimented her, burying her head in my chest so that I could feel the wetness of her tears seep through my clothes.

_This is the last night you'll spend alone,  
Look me in the eyes so I know you know.  
I'm everywhere you want me to be!  
The last night you'll spend alone,  
I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go.  
I'm everything you need me to be…_

Whether it was just to be a shoulder to cry on or someone to lean on I wanted to be there for her… This was so fucking complicated for me… I love her. She loves me. I have to kill her… That train of thought was going around in circles, coming back and looping around every time. It cycled through near endlessly and was still doing so.

Her crying had stopped soon enough.

**_"…Thank you Minato…"_** Nyx smiled softly, her voice still broken up.

I smiled, relieved. Now all that's left… is my resolve. Can I do it? She wants me to kill her, I don't. I should honour her wish? I should… honour her wish…

"You should sleep." I suggested softly to which she nodded slightly and began to nod off in my arms.

**_"So are ready to kill her?" _**I could only recognise that voice as Tartarus'.

"As ready as I can ever be…" I stated sadly.

The prison deity came a bit closer, standing a couple of metres away from me. **_"Just know that… I have your back. Wherever you go." _**Tartarus grinned at me.

I had to wonder why he wanted to help me, but I guess that I can't complain when he's helped me before without me asking. I guess it's just something that comes since I'm supposed to be the Master of Tartarus… But I feel that he's not helping me as an obligation of being of that stature… Perhaps it's more as friends?

"Why?" I asked the question that was on my mind.

**_"Firstly… you're the Master of Tartarus. It is part of my duties," _**That I had figured. It was as the name implied…_**"Secondly… I like you. Your courage and power is admirable," **_Ok, that I wasn't expecting as much. **_"Third... I care for Nyx. If you hesitate, I will do everything in my power to make you do what you have to do." _**He stated the last reason with a great resolve. A resolve that I knew he had just by him speaking. The amount of force in his voice was so sure… He definitely wouldn't stop.

"I see. If I hesitate again… make me." I gazed into Tartarus' red eyes, counting on him.

**_"Of course… That sounded like Nyx didn't it?" _**He joked, with a smirk crossing his visage.

"It did a little," I chuckled. "Thanks Tartarus."

He nodded and bowed, disappearing in dust as a soft breeze blew past me and Nyx.

I may not have the strongest resolve ever but… I at least know he has my back… I smiled to myself before going back to sleep like I was going to before…

_Afternoon_

The sun was a lot higher in the sky now. It was a lot warmer too. Had I stayed here for that long? It didn't matter that much to me, but it was something that was a little surprising. The sun's rays were finally able to cut through the fog that encompassed the island earlier, and the reaches of its light were warmer here than ever before.

Most of the cloud cover that blanketed the city before had disappeared on the wind. The breezes that flew by were warm enough that it wouldn't be cool. It was probably a good thing right now. It was plenty cold earlier.

"You're awake again," Sally smiled. "Are you going to go now?"

"I think I might stay here a little longer." I replied softly.

No, I still did feel tired. I guess all of my accumulated fatigue was falling on me today. Especially when I rest here, I feel like I would need to rest forever. There was this more calming atmosphere about the hill. So quiet… so alone…

"What are you doing here Minato?" Richard?

I couldn't really muster the strength to stand up and face him. I was still too weary for that. It was too easy to just want to stay here forever. "I'm just resting." That was the truth. But I was still too tired…

"That's the kind of place it is." Richard replied, and I could only imagine the slight smile that would be on his face now.

"You picked a good place." I smiled knowingly, still feeling Sally's presence just next to me.

"He did, didn't he?" Sally giggled. She didn't sound in the least bit disappointed in Richard at all. So she doesn't blame him at all… not with that kind of tone. She sounded happy.

I could hear Richard's caught breath in his throat. He must have heard her…

"Sally?" His voice was small, and more like a breath of air than actually saying anything.

"Oh you silly, yes it's me." Her apparition floated just above the gravestone, probably right to where Richard was standing.

"Sally…!" Richard's voice was shocked. I would have expected it… besides he did just see the ghost of his girlfriend. I would be surprised too, even with the many things I've seen. "Sally…"

"Shh… Someone's trying to get some peace…" She said teasingly.

"Oh, uh…" Is this how awkward he acts around people sometimes? I never would have imagined that of someone like Richard. It's especially noticeable now since he's so enthusiastic around other people. "Sorry…" He replied in a sheepish voice.

"It's fine." I responded.

"Um, I wanted to ask something about last night…" I could totally imagine him twiddling his thumbs right now. He always seemed to do that when he was nervous about saying something. The few times when he was anyways. "Are you actually the Reaper?"

"Yeah? What about it?" I smirked. It's not like it really matters. Acting as the Reaper was just something for fun, not to mention there were things that I wanted to change, mainly Ikutsuki's and Fuuka's situations.

"Wait, what!?" He shouted in surprise.

"It's not like it matters. It was just a game to see how long I could stay hidden as the Reaper, but I chose to reveal that to you," I'm not that shallow though… "That might be a lie, take it as you will. But it was mostly to test your power, and because I'm selfish enough to not want for last time to happen." I growled.

"What do you mean?" Richard asked.

"I stopped the Fall back in my world. I was sent back here, to do everything I was supposed to again. This time I only had a year though." I replied, a low snarl forming in my throat. I was frustrated too!? Add that to my stew of emotions, please. Why don't you…

Richard stayed silent. I took it as my cue to continue explaining. "Last time, almost everybody died. It wasn't going to happen again…" I shook my head, trying to keep my anger out of my voice. "And because I'm a coward."

"A coward? You?" Richard scoffed.

"Yes. Because I hesitated, I'm going to hesitate again, and I might not be able to kill her like I'm supposed to," I hissed. "And then, I was thrown back here." I shook my head.

"Why did you hesitate?" Richard questioned softly.

"The first time I was so consumed by hate," I growled. "Now… I love her..." I trailed off.

"You love her?" He chuckled.

"I do," My head hung in sadness. "When you do it, it's an accident. With me, every time… it's a murder." I muttered under my breath so that he couldn't hear me.

"If you hesitate again… I'll do what it takes to make sure she's defeated." Richard whispered softly. But why? Even Lycanos doesn't have the power to kill a god… It was possible that my heart skipped a few beats as I came to the conclusion he was thinking of. If he uses his Universe Arcana powers… Then he'll die… Does he still want that to happen? To be with Sally? Right now? Why…

I still have to go back home. I have to do it… I don't want him to die.

"If you dare… If you fucking dare…" I breathed out heavily trying to keep my temper under control. "Have you considered yet what the people around you are going to feel?"

"Have you!?" Richard retorted.

Silence permeated my mind. I didn't...

I heard glass in my mind shattering. Something coming unhinged… Something that I had been keeping hidden inside me, something bottled up for so long. Something dark… That was all it was. Just emptiness. Just isolation. Nothing else. Just anger. Just rage. Just anguish.

The only one who pities me is me. I'm the only one who doesn't give a damn. I don't care. I don't really. I'm a manipulating bastard and that's it. The only one who commands me is me. No damned fucking piece of destiny is going to keep me locked into a never ending cycle of pain. So…

Just… leave me alone…!

I breathed out heavily, my breath icy cold. I stood up slowly, meeting Richard's gaze with my silver one. "What do you know about me…!?"

Richard's eyes widened, recoiling in fear. Yes… feel it never-endingly… I grinned, baring my fangs… those that I had kept hidden. The fangs of Death are sharp indeed… Zephyrs formed around me, blowing the loosely tied ribbon in my hair out from its grip as the now vicious winds picked up speed and power.

"What do you know? Next to fucking nothing. You only know my name, that that might even be fake!" I laughed, my mirth becoming distorted with the powers of Death. The powers of Death that I kept on a leash? Break the fucking chains. Break them loose. Break them into fucking pieces.

Richard took up a defensive stance, summoning his scythe. But, his hands were sweating and more beads of it were slipping down his face. Feel fear… Feel more of it… Fear Death not because he comes for you… Only because you don't know where he's going to strike.

I summoned Mukou Meikai in my hands, gripping them nonchalantly. I could smell the blood that had been spilled by them on their blades… The white shine of the swords were only a deep black… I could see the blood on it clearly, staining all over the black and hilt.

Lycanos, you empower the urges of Death in the God Thanatos. That's who you are. You might be an ultimate warrior, but not even the mightiest of immortal warriors can tame Death. That only leaves the question to whether Death can kill an embodiment of Death as well… an interesting ploy…

"To remove pain, remove the causes… right!?" I grinned as Richard's eyes widened as he came to the conclusion that I was thinking of.

"Are you serious!?" Richard yelled, rage burning in his eyes. Rage… Just another emotion I like to see…

"Why are you getting angry?" I smiled, showing off my fangs again. "Isn't it true? Or are you that much of a hypocrite like I am?"

He flinched from my words. Maybe it is true… I sneered at Richard, waiting for him to make up his mind. "But…!"

"What are you going to do?" He asked quietly, gripping his scythe's handle tight until his knuckles were pale. Only so that he wouldn't lose grip on his scythe. Why would he let go of it? Out of fear? Out of anger? Or complete utter submission? My smile only tuned more wicked as I went through the reasons why… all of them were pretty good…

"Why don't I just kill everyone in SEES!? Then our sources of pain will be gone forever… and when we're both finally gone and dead no-one will care." I smirked as I saw the flashes of fear, anger and the dark emotions that were brewing within him, whether he knew it or not.

I was exploding with laughter as I saw him try to make up his mind. There's only one thing that I want to do right now. I summoned Thanatos' killing intent, washing over Richard and awakening Lycanos' instincts.

"Minato…!" It felt like Richard's and Lycanos' voices were mixed together as they both tried to resist their primal desires. To empower Death. To empower me so that more blood will be spilled open out of victim's guts on the street. I could feel small increments of his power rising up within me, and Richard's eyes were becoming more crazed and wolf-like even as he tried to block out more of his primitive inclinations.

Just to taunt him, I sent more waves of Thanatos' killing intent. It was almost like inflicting emotional torture on him. The power to resist against me will fade soon enough…

Richard growled, swinging his scythe at me in large arcs and spinning it to score more cuts. I blocked them off easily, my grin only becoming wider as the wolf within him was threatening to break free. The wolf is a vicious animal though. That's right… keep on clawing out the edges of his mind… destroy every semblance of sanity that he has left!

I sent a final blast of killing intent. It had been the strongest wave that I had sent in a long time… That's right… squirm under its pressure like the worm you are… let those dark thoughts invade and plague your mind like the locusts to fields… And break.

Maybe it was on cue, but it was at this moment that I heard glass shatter and I knew that his instincts as the god to keep Thanatos in check took him over completely. Now… for everyone to die.

I smirked to myself before casting a blank glance at Sally who had been watching the exchange. She was absolutely stunned. Not that I could blame her. Even a ghost can feel fear after all… they're just spirits…

"Glad you see it my way Richard." I sneered at the wolf Persona user.

He nodded slightly, handling his scythe with an air that exuded coldness and calculative thoughts. Like the tactician Lycanos was. A cunning wolf.

Paying no mind to Sally, he and I charged to the streets of Iwatodai.

_Evening_

Those that dare to cross me… they all die.

Maybe it was a sword or suffocation but whatever the case, all their bodies lay cold against the concrete and dank bricks, their breaths long gone. Richard may not have been involved in actually killing all of them but his power was only making me want to kill more. Let me hear their screams of pain… let me taste, feel and smell their blood… I chuckled to myself as I pulled my arm out of a random punk's stomach, drenched in that bitter red liquid.

It was a waning moon tonight, but the white signal was still large in the sky. The night was as black as how my soul felt like to me. The main banner of Death, black… Barely any pin pricks of light were present in the sky tonight; not that it mattered that much to me. It just made the urges in my instinct to kill as much as I could be satiated much easier.

My once blue hair was matted with brown and scarlet blood. It didn't even change colour to a dark purple or anything. It was so thick on it that it was just the one colour, with only a few deviations to colour. My once clean clothes were caked with more of the stubborn stains. All that I was seeing, all that I wanted to see through my empty silver eyes were blacks, whites, greys and reds. The blacks for the shadows, the whites for the lit up pavement and bricks, greys for the gradation between the two opposites and the reds for the blood that was splashed around me everywhere…

The blood was the only thing that stood out in all of this. The red, scarlet blood…

I wanted more of it. Spill more of it around me!

"More… I need the blood… of SEES!" I roared up into the dead sky, piercing it with as loud a blaring voice as I could. Yes, I would shout into the blackness… the whole world can now know of my cravings…

The whispers of every droplet of blood echoed in my ears, distorting my already ravaged vision. I saw more and more red splashed everywhere, painting each corner of the alleys and filling as many of the small nooks and crevices around me.

Red. The other colour of Death. The colour of passion. The colour of rage. The colour of love… The colour of blood… "I need more…!" I snarled, clawing through more thugs as they came. I didn't even need my swords. My fists would do just fine…

I didn't punch into them. I punched through them, ripping through their flab and flesh like flimsy pieces of paper. Then I got through to the bone… I would tear them out from the inside, making sure that that their cries of anguish only increased as I mentally wished for them to suffer as much as possible, and scream even more.

Call me cruel or whatever, but I wouldn't care. All that mattered was that I killed every single one of the members of SEES.

The scent of iron was drifting through the streets as I emerged from the darkness of the alleys. I wouldn't be surprised why… such was the smell of fresh blood. It was such a strong fragrance…

"What…!?" It sounded like Minato. "Minato… what's going on!?"

"There's one…" I muttered to myself, wearing a fiendish grin.

I stared long and hard into his eyes, showing him who and what I was right now. He took up a defensive position, an unsure expression taking up his face before he ran up quickly to me and tried to punch me several times, also throwing in a few kicks along the way.

But really… Was that all!? I would think right now that he had a lot more powers than just that. He better not be done yet.

I dodged and blocked as many of his strikes as possible, countering some of his punches and sending him cascading into the concrete. He looked up at me with a gaze that asked, 'why are you doing this?'

"Because I'm selfish enough that I want to take away the source of my pain." I answered with a snarl underneath my reply.

"How would that work?" He asked with his eyebrows scrunched and his eyes squeezed shut in a small amount of pain as he realised that his telepathic communication with me was shut off.

"I would kill every single one of the members of SEES." I smirk, partly because of the whole notion that I was putting forward and because Minato's expression was near priceless right now.

The question 'why?' would be echoing in his head. Why did I feel like this? I felt like this because I had enough of fate trying to screw around with me. Once Richard had said that he unleashed a beast like none other… His words were the trigger to this. Me. My Shadow. My Shadow and I would be screwing with everything else in the world. This was me. I was it.

But I wouldn't be satisfied until any of them gave me a perfectly damned good reason to make me stop pining after their lives. So far… none of them have. I wonder if they will find a good reason. It won't come now… I'm sure…

"What can we do to get you to stop?" He asked quietly, standing himself up to full height.

"Give me a reason why I should stop," I answered back with a sneer. "Run back to your friends. If you can think of a reason within a week… that you think can curb me over again… I won't go ahead and kill all of you."

Minato sighed, scratching his head. "Alright… we'll try ani." He replied sadly.

"You don't have to call me that. Not like how I am right now…" I replied. Am I switching back and forth between my Shadow personality and my normal one?

"No matter what happens, you're still my brother." He smiled a little before using a Double Up spell to speed himself up. There weren't many people around to see whatever the hell he was doing… If at all.

I heard more scratching around in the alleys, and I only knew that there were more for me to rip apart into pieces. Grinning, I melted back into the darkness and enjoying the screams of that certain someone.

_Dark Hour_

Breathing heavily, I watched Minato and the others train in Tartarus again. Trying to keep my new urges under control was a huge burden for me… I could hardly move without thinking that I was going to freaking kill everyone in the area.

I tried to shake my head out of my thoughts, beginning to watch them train again. They're all becoming strong… I wonder if it will still be fun to try and rip them all to shreds again…! No… Not right now…

I tapped my feet twice on the tiled floor like the many times before, changing the song to 'Whispers In The Dark…'

"When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars…" I sang softly, watching Minato move even further through the Monad Block again.

Yukari was probably the best that she could be with her arrows now. When they're wind-tipped with Garu spells her attacks became even more potent… They rip through the Shadows' flesh so easily… just like my fists in another thug's body… Her Garu spells are vicious as I can remember them, especially with that Panta Rhei spell of hers. She was exceptionally creative with how she used her Wind spells now… Though I still do fancy the move she uses that turns the wind into flurries of slashing winds that could cut someone to thousand pieces easily. Breathing and forcing back my want again, I remembered about her healing spells. She had become pretty adept with her healing spells as well…

Junpei was boisterous as ever, and he had finally gotten the concept of using Personae in emergencies instead of every second minute. His fire spells were good, but they would only become more powerful when combined with Yukari's Garu spells or with Koromaru's Agi spells. Physical spells were good as ever now, and they packed a real punch.

I wonder how I got through that without succumbing… to…

Anyways, Akihiko was lightning fast with his punches as always, also containing a good amount of force as usual. Physical spells were good as I remembered them to be, even though his Zio spells did lack a bit of force. He wasn't much of a spell caster anyways, though he had some potential as a supporter.

Shinjiro was hard hitting as ever, smashing every Shadow's face in with just his axe. The Ichor flying every…where… Physical attacks were good… side spells of Magna and Tera spells also good…

Mitsuru was an expert with her rapier, and rightfully so. Such was the reputation she had built for herself. She was a master at manipulating ice, also being able to use some Aqua spells as well, albeit to a lower extent than that of her icy prowess. She was able to manipulate her ice to brutally pierce through Shadow flesh and spray Ichor everywhere as the icicles are retracted from the holes.

Aigis was a Physical attacker, and as usual her aim with her guns was great as ever. Not that I would think that her aim would deteriorate. Aside from having extremely hard hitting moves, her support skills were formidable as well. Yes… they would only make it even easier to crush a victim's skull… with a Taru…kaja spell…

Ken was our agile spear user, and I couldn't believe how good he got with Pasupata in such a short amount of time… Graceful and quick, like how Minako used her naginata. A deadly dance… to spill blood everywhere…! Anyways, he was becoming good with his aim when it came to his Hama spells, not to mention that his Physical and Zio attacks were decently strong as well. Not to mention the few support spells he had were effective as well.

Ray was fast and ferocious as ever, though she did seem to be moving a bit sloppily compared to the others… maybe it's because of… Richard… She liked to keep using Light spells, also using Almighty spells several times. It was clear how large her SP pool was…

Thank Thanatos… they're getting so strong… and there are more of us too this time. It can only be easier. Now to wait for that reason…

* * *

AN: No rest for the weary huh? Welp, hope you like the chapter. Yes, there's going to be a lot more blood later on. Hopefully it doesn't get too out of hand though.

And before you ask no, I didn't really plan for this new arc with Minato to start, but it is good character development so I don't mind. And I hope you liked the more fluffy bits in the story this time. Light to contrast the dark for sure.

Anyways, I'm out and I hope you liked the chapter!

Plz review and no flames!


	27. The Cipher

_02/01/10 Evening_

Staggering my way through the night without trying to kill another person was unbearably difficult. Richard was following behind me, far enough from me not to get hit by the spray of that… sweet… sweet… blood…

In my state I could stand in the Dark Hour while it was raining and it would be pleasant to me. The diluted bloody rain could soak through my clothes, dyeing them a light pink… Enjoying the feeling of the thicker liquid pouring down into my clothes, soaking them through and through… A drenching feeling of being steeped in blood was unlike any other, so much so that it cannot be captured by the stabs of normal rain water.

I shook my head immediately, rattling those dark thoughts out of my mind. It would at least keep them away for a little longer… I can't even tell anymore whether I agreed with my Shadow or not. All it felt like was me seven years ago… I was filled to the brim with darkness and with no remorse for another person's life. Especially since my eyes had lost almost all colour in them… They were barely grey. They would barely have any life in them.

The grip of the scarlet liquid on my hands, engulfing them with the sticky red, it was only becoming so familiar to me as the glassy-eyed look of the victims were imprinted in my mind. Just as fast, and just as vivid in my mind. My Shadow would say that I loved the warm grasp of that darkness while I would say I didn't. That's only one of my problems though, and it's not that bad. Besides, it wasn't like I wasn't used to it.

The other part of my Shadow was saying that I didn't want to feel that pain again… The pain of losing everything again… I didn't want to feel the pain of seeing everything that I had tried so hard to gain and keep be thrown away as if was worthless. The thing is was that it was true… I didn't want to lose any more of what I had, especially since I had lost them several times. Some of the times they wouldn't come back. Never again…

They would only be leaving holes to be filled in my mind. Holes that could be filled back up, but of course I would only lose everything again and the abyss of torment would only be dug deeper and wider into it. My Shadow's logic is saying that I should remove the sources of my pain so that the pit that's been dug into my jaded mind wouldn't grow anymore. But who's to say that… it… won't work…?

Don't stop me from saying what's on my mind… Especially not my Shadow…

I just want to know… whether they would be okay with me leaving… If they were then I could stop. That's all I need… A confirmation…

No… I want their blood on my hands. No-one will ever be able to take anything away from me again…

"NO!" My voice echoed out into the emptiness of the night. Where I was, it was devoid of all other sounds. Perhaps just to let me yell my request to the stars… Just take away my insecurities. Take them far away, on your fastest chariots…

I began to sing my questions to the stars. Trying my hardest to make sure that all evil intentions were kept out of my voice as I wished, and I prayed my call to the heavens.

"If wasn't here tomorrow, would anybody care?" I wondered to myself, thinking of lyrics to a song. I shook my head, trying to think of the rest of the lyrics. "If my time was up I'd wanna know, you were happy I was there…"

"If I wasn't here tomorrow would anyone lose sleep?" I asked to myself. "If I wasn't hard and hollow then maybe you would miss me." I didn't know whether it would happen. I couldn't possibly that big of an influence in SEES can I? I may be friends with them but I'm only close to a few people. Would the others care as well?

"I know I'm a mess and I want to be someone; someone that I'd like better," I'm so flawed it's not even funny. They're weaknesses that just make me want to cry sometimes… Whether you see them as weaknesses or not, they slow me down sometimes, and so many deaths have been caused because of them.

"I can never forget so don't remind me of it forever…" I pleaded to the lights that dotted the sky, almost asking them not to say anything about how I was and how I am now. To wish for them not to say anything to Minato, Minako, Mitsuru or anyone else, and not to tell them what I'm going through and what I'm doing.

"What if I just pulled myself together!? Would it matter at all!?" I roared into the blackness of the sky, disturbing the stagnant air of the night with my thunderous voice and still keeping in tune with the song. "What if I just tried not to remember!? Would it matter at all!?" Maybe it looked like I was complaining and whining, but at this point I just didn't care anymore. I can't complain once in a while!?

I'm no hero… I'm just someone who's strong enough to be one and sucks at doing what a hero does… Heroes aren't supposed to cry in public like I was doing right now. If there was anyone left in the streets they would be able to hear my voice loud and clear, echoing in the depths and ringing out in the open.

"All the chances that have passed me by! Would it matter if I gave it one more try!?" I forced through all of my anguish and sadness through my questions. Maybe I just thought that by shouting out my sorrow that it would go away? Maybe if I tried hard enough my depression would turn to heavy rain in the atmosphere and soak through me again.

"Would it matter at all…?" I asked quietly, almost silent when compared to my earlier volume of voice.

"If I wasn't here tomorrow would anybody care?" My voice returned to my normal speaking voice, not necessarily in that tone. After all, I was still in tune… "Still stuck inside this sorrow, I've got nothing and going nowhere…" The anguish in my voice was poring through to rip through any happy thoughts and neutrality that would have been coming through otherwise, like a dam that only allowed the clearer water to flow through. The clearer water was only flooding out the pool of near endless rue and regret…

"I know I'm a mess and I want to be someone; someone that I'd like better!" I don't know how anymore. I'm too twisted up in my emotions that I couldn't know the difference between what I thought was right or wrong. "I can never forget so don't remind me of it forever!"

"What if I just pulled myself together!? Would it matter at all!?" I was forcing every ounce of vocal strength into my words, and I could only think that if I continued it would leave my throat hoarse and dry. Not that it mattered to me right now. "What if I just tried not to remember!? Would it matter at all!?"

"All the chances that have passed me by! Would it matter if I gave it one more try!?" I don't know… I've taken every chance that I could find so far. Where has it landed me? I was stuck in the middle, stuck between a hard place and something even harder. "Would it matter at all!?"

"I know I'm a mess and I wanna be someone; someone that I'd like better…" Go on and repeat… It's a song. It was a song that could speak my mind even as I drowned and suffocated painfully and slowly in the flooding of negative thoughts. "Can you help me forget don't wanna feel like this forever!"

"Forever!"

"What if I just pulled myself together!? Would it matter at all!?" The same questions were echoing in my head. No answer. Will there ever be or am I damned to live without answers forever? "What if I just tried not to remember!? Would it matter at all!?" The next familiar line that I begged the heavens to answer: "All of the chances that have passed me by! Would it matter if I gave it one more try!?" I don't know anymore…

"If I left tomorrow would anybody care!?" I think I know the answer… But I don't want to accept it. I don't know whether I've made that big of an impact on them anymore… "Stuck in this sorrow going nowhere!" I haven't moved on from anything. I can't, no. I don't want to move anymore.

_All of the chances that have passed me by! Would it matter if I gave it one last try!?  
Would it… matter… at… all…?_

It was then I realised that I had lost that one thing that helped me deal with everything so far. It felt like there was a searing fire in my lungs and chest… My throat felt bone dry, and the pain was only spreading further. I tried to cover my mouth to catch my breath in my hand, only to find my drained breath carrying blood.

Trying to speak, all that came out was warm trickles of blood and wasted breath. "Fuck…" I managed to get out, but not saying any more of that before spitting out more blood onto my already bloodied hands.

Shit… Fucking hell…

I can't talk, let alone sing. My lesson's learned but that's one of my only ways to let out my insecurities now and it's been destroyed. It was a whole load of emptiness. That's all it was. My one outlet for my sorrow; my voice, it was gone.

Fine then, you can take over now…

I'm sorry…

_03/01/10 Morning_

Richard growled as I saw his eyes walk the fine line between wildness and humanity. I chuckled in my mind, seeing as I had no fucking voice or anything. Turn back to normal won't you? Let's play… The predator here is me, wolf.

"Makoto…!" Richard's eyes finally turned back to normal. Haha… this is going to be fun. The inevitability of resistance was going to keep me occupied for a while. In this morning it was still dark, but enough hours had passed to call the time morning.

"Stop this!" Glare at me all you want beast. That's all you are. A monster that cannot suppress his primal instincts. "I'm going to stop you!"

Try all you like. It won't change anything. It won't change the fact that I am going to teach you a harsh lesson mangy mutt. I grinned before taunting him with my defenceless stance, daring him to come. He gritted his teeth before showing off his own fangs and firing off a spell at me.

"Heartful Cry!" As he roared the waves of Almighty energy in my direction, they echoed about the air, bouncing off every disturbance in the atmosphere. There was nothing to say to this attack, even if it was in my mind. There was only one thing I was thinking about: Contraforce.

The Light and Dark spells that I used with Minato were combined, changing into the golden beam that I knew so well. The rings of magic that were rushing at me were blown back by the sheer force of my own powerful Almighty attack. An attack to which not even Megidoladyne could even compare. After all, the contradicting forces could only create more energy.

His eyes widened in fear before he jumped out of the way. I would've guessed that he'd have seen it coming since he had seen it when he was in Shadow form. What a vicious Shadow it was too… I smiled before turning my attention back to the mutt.

Richard growled out his next spell, "Heart of the Wind!"

I didn't see Richard use that spell when I fought him not too long ago. Try to keep things interesting, won't you? The emerald green winds spiralled towards me in large tornadoes, rolling down the street. I merely rolled my eyes at the spell, zipping out of the way of it easily.

I gazed at him with a bored expression, taunting him with it. Surprise and fear was crossing his face. Can you feel that shiver of fear run down your spine? He glared at me, holding his scythe one-handed as I sensed a great amount of SP emanating from his soul.

"Light Heart!" It was with a determined expression that he released a large burst of Almighty and Light energy, but somehow I felt it even stronger than Lycanos' Light Heart… Truly, a man who walks on the light, I mused.

Pulling up a Makarakarn spell to block the spell at least, no. Several Makarakarn spells to block off the Light Heart spell, and I stood unperturbed by the attack as they crashed through a majority of the golden mirrors, finally fizzling out just as they reached the final one, just in front of me.

Richard's eyes widened until that surprised look in his eyes turned to one of a glare, obviously getting ready to fire off another attack. Are you getting angry, wolf? I looked on from my position thinking about what he was trying to charge up, until I felt that the next Light attack that he was going to use was even stronger than his last. It's not like it matters though. With the amount of SP that he's using, I don't think he's going to be able to use another attack after this.

But only since it's a Light spell…

"Noble Light!" Undisturbed by the amount of SP he was using for this one attack, I continued to look on at him, a smirk crawling across my face as his 'Noble Light' attack was released.

Only a few seconds after he tried to use that attack, he had collapsed. I would have to guess that it was supposed to be his trump card for me. Only to be ruined by one detail… It was something that he got horribly wrong when I had used those Makarakarn mirrors. I absorb Light.

The one thing that I was weak to was Dark. You should've checked.

Grinning as I came closer to him, I dropped down to my knees and looked down at him with contempt, the same grin crossing my face. He looked up at me defiantly to meet my gaze, a challenge playing in his eyes. What I was hearing from him was a lot of cursing and muttering under his breath, but as he realised that I wasn't doing anything after that he hissed, "What!?"

I merely shrugged my shoulders, trying something new out. Just because we were connected by the power of the Universe.

_You're amusing to watch._

"How are you talking in my head!?" He snapped back.

_Because, we're Universe wielders. _I replied simply.

"But… why aren't you just talking normally?" He asked curiously, though a hint of anger was still laced in his words.

_Because I can't. Minato can't speak. _I sneered. Not only because Richard was fallen before my feet, but because it was that very reason why I was able to take his usual consciousness over. Especially because he had been trying to fight me off for so damned long… It was nice to finally taste that complete freedom again.

"What…?" He wondered softly.

_It was at that moment that he simply lost all will, so now… here I am. _ I explained, trying to emphasise that fact.

"Why?" Richard asked, trying to get onto his feet shakily. Hmph. I punched him in the stomach, making him fall back down to the ground at my feet. Where he should be.

After coughing out some blood onto the pavement, I began to explain why.

_His singing is now the only way for him to express his feelings without killing anyone. Now if that was taken away… _I left the rest up to Richard's imagination. It was obvious what had happened after that.

But Richard didn't seem like he was up to saying anything about it. Cogitating over it I suppose… I have to wonder though. I don't really feel like ripping him apart like all the others. It's strange. Oh who cares? I'll have a little fun torturing him later.

_Have you wondered about what he said when he said you didn't know him at all? _He snapped to attention, looking at me sceptically even through the pain that he was still feeling. Richard nodded though.

_Good. _Looks like maybe I can explain a little bit to him. But seriously… I'm not attacking him as brutally as I normally do. It's fucking strange is what that is.

_How many times have you lost everything? _I asked, a nonchalant expression taking up my face. As if I didn't really care.

"Three…" He replied shakily.

_Minato… has lost almost everything three times before. He's going to lose a lot again, two more times. I can't even think that what Fate has in store for him is going to stop there either. _I eyed him, not thinking about killing or blood for once. No, this was the reason I was formed.

"What… how?" Richard managed to get out, albeit quietly.

_Once, on the Moonlight Bridge. Once, when he came back home. Once, leaving his friends when he was transported here. The next times are when he's going to go back, and when he loses Nyx, _I listed them off with a scowl. _But really, I'm surprised he didn't crack before this. He's been holding this for about… give or take ten years now. Ten, because of this year._

"For that long…? How did he do it? I'd been holding mine for more than five years but… that's crazy…" He mumbled.

_He's strong. I'm strong. No… we're both strong. But strong doesn't mean unbreakable. I suppose what you said was merely a trigger for it to finally manifest into me. _I explained further, but obviously putting some enthusiasm as I mentioned what was able to set me free.

But it was at that Richard's eyes widened, no doubt realising what he just did. "Fuck… What did I do…?" He looked down towards the dank pavement, no doubt cursing himself for what he just did. "Shit… why…? Fucking why!?"

But it was quite amusing to watch anyways. I wasn't going to stop him from doing that. It looked too funny. I love how much he's squirming about now that he's realised it. I love the fact that he won't forgive himself now, and he'll hate himself even more.

What?

_Richard…! _I tried to call out again, remembering that my voice was gone… As sad as that is, I have bigger things to worry about. Now to try and keep myself under control…

"Minato?" He asked sheepishly as he was broken out of his self-loathing.

_It's not your fault. It's mine… _I sat down on the ground, tired of trying to keep the position that my Shadow was keeping up before. Maybe it was true and I did want Richard to know how I felt and make him feel about it, but it wouldn't help… The thing is, I know my Shadow and I accept it. I just can't accept the fact that I can't deal with it anymore.

"No, it was mine…!" Richard retorted defiantly.

Another impulse was about to send me over the edge again… squeezing my eyes shut, my chest contracted and squeezed until I felt my Shadow once more… Fuck…

No, I can battle him back… It was just one moment of weakness!

_You can make it your fault if you want to mutt. I'm not going to stop it. You make this whole situation plain hilarious._

Fuck…! I can't… I can't even stand up to myself!?

I couldn't think of anything else to do but run. Away from Richard. No doubt he would think that I'm a complete fucking mess… I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, kicking up a few puddles of murky water as I ran. No doubt, murky with red and blood.

_Late Night_

Shivering with cold and the constant feeling of equally freezing feeling of wet blood pressed against my skin I had too little trouble to fall asleep. On a night like this that was mottled with blots of dark grey, I only knew that it was going to be chilly with stabbing rain and cold wind. I just wanted to escape from it all right now… Not to mention I had the Dark Hour to deal with later.

Resting my head against the edge of the roof I was still looking up at the few stars I could see, gazing up and wondering whether they heard me or not. What am I? Crazy? Wishes don't come true by asking the stars… They never had before anyways… I wished before that my friends would always be safe. What a load of bull.

As if on cue a single rain drop struck upon my face, turning my nose cold. I guess I should go under those rafters…

Picking myself up with a small yawn I settled myself under said roof and tried warm myself up a little more, even though I knew that the blood from before still had not dried. The little amounts of scarlet that were still trapped in the fibres of my jacket were oozing out a small bit, smearing onto my hands.

The frigid rain created rhythms like a drum as they pounded on the floor and roof. I could tell that it was pouring madly out there, and there was only one thing I was thinking of. Getting my jacket clean. I actually liked this one a lot…

Throwing my jacket into the rain with half-lidded eyes, I fell into a light sleep, waiting for the Dark Hour to strike. I would have to get that before the rain turns to blood like all water does in that dreaded time. Well…

Breathing out, I tried to talk again. I guess I'll just have to wait a bit… longer… But why couldn't a good Diarahan fix this!? Any time that I had tried, it just never worked…

I better just fall asleep for now…

All I was dreaming about right now was Minako. My sweet imoto…

Her voice, I tried to try and remember it as much as I could. Her touch, I could feel it wrapping around my neck. Warm, and gentle… Her smell, it always reminded me of strawberries… I could remember every detail of her face with her tied up auburn hair, every contour of it and her berry red eyes…

I could remember how she acted. She was that selfless girl who made everyone around her happy. She exuded an air of confidence that always seemed to rub off on other people and give them determination… She would be able to break even the most hard-hearted of people out of their shells with no problems at all.

But I would then remember how I would sometimes have to drag her out of bed, and how lazy she actually was. It would only just add to her charm though. It was something that made the people around her laugh, especially when they catch me trying to drag her by the collar while she still has that bedhead of hers.

The next presence, I could recognise so easily… Mitsuru.

Her strong spoken and silken voice was something I could remember any day. I could imagine her soft rose-like lips against mine and her equally gentle skin as her arms wrapped around my neck… I could see her port wine hair, and her scarlet eyes against her snow white skin…

I remembered she was the commanding type with the façade of ice, and a warm soul. Even with her responsibilities, she was still as caring as ever and somehow always made time to spend time with not only me but her friends too.

Yukari and Junpei were the two I just couldn't imagine without seeing the other. They were just friends, but I couldn't help but think that they were something a lot different at times. The times when Minako would joke about how they acted like an old married couple were hilarious to say the least because of their reactions. It was always a joke, but I couldn't help but think that it was right sometimes.

Junpei was the cheerful guy, perverted… but he was still a reliable friend. Even if his words somehow landed him into trouble, it always made him fun to watch. And the times where we would beat him at video games… Always fun.

To this, Yukari was the one who kept him in line even if her words were a bit harsh sometimes. Though she never really meant any of it, they would always get our favourite capped teen to shut up effectively if he was talking for too long or getting into an uncomfortable topic to speak on.

Shinjiro and Akihiko were a duo that you would rarely see apart. Like the twins Pollux and Castor. They were near inseparable, but a reliable pair. Shinjiro was the smarter of the two, despite his well-built strength and Akihiko being more of the person to act rashly and on instinct.

Fuuka was the shy one. She never really said too much, but she would always worry about her friends first. She was the kind of person to try and please everyone around her and try to keep people as happy as she can. She would do so with every ounce of her power, through whatever means. Though I did always try to stay away from her cooking at first, despite how hard she tries sometimes…

Aigis was the one who sealed Death inside me. No, I didn't have any qualms about that now either… It didn't matter to me that much anyways. I was the one who accepted that contract after all. Besides, she helped me gain more power to help me protect my friends. She always had a hard time understanding humans, emotions and the like but she would get it sometime. Even a robot can try her best to understand us anyways.

Koromaru was the last of our group, but certainly not the least. He was a cheerful dog, and an intelligent one as well as he was actually able to understand human speech. He could only be the staunchest of our members and he wasn't easily deterred by other threats, especially when they concerned his friends. I could remember that besides his protective nature, the shiba-inu was also a very playful dog and loved to have fun with those close to him.

From then on, it was only wave after wave of nostalgia… I would only remember the times that I spent with them. I could remember as many painful and happy memories with each of them… If I was already starting to cry when I was dreaming, I could only imagine what I was doing back outside.

A feeling of foreboding was alerting me to the fact I should probably get my sodden hoodie out from the rain. I could feel that set of slight shivers that appeared when I felt the Dark Hour approaching. Being too tired to stand up and get it myself I moved it just next to me. This way there would be no chance for it to get bloodied again by the falling red.

Prying my eyes open slightly to look at my jacket, I could see that a majority of the stains were washed off by the rain. It was nice to see it like that… since my other favourite hoodie was caked with an ungodly amount of blood. I couldn't feel like trying to wring the water out of it since I was already too stiff and cold to try. I wasn't in the mood to lose the little warmth that I had left in my hands. Well, if there was any at all in the first place.

Then, midnight struck like I had thought it would. It was expected… Trying to close my eyes once more, I fell asleep only to find myself in a time of the past. A darker time…

I carried only my backpack and my favourite hoodie. It was all I needed besides the obvious, and it wasn't heavy at all. Not when I had the Velvet Room helping me. They not only kept the stuff that I didn't need, they even supplied me the materials for any new weapons and forge that I would need to make them if I wanted to try them out, even though my sword Black Snow was really all that I needed. Heck, I didn't even need that. My fists were enough.

Black Snow was made of a Black Frost Persona, the blade black and the hilt just as dark and tinged purple. It contained the spells Agilao, Bufudyne and Rakukaja, though the Rakukaja spell was more of a thing that was always on for the sword to make it stronger.

I pulled my hood over my head, trying not to gain too much attention as I travelled through the slums. I didn't really like it here much, what with the horrid smell and the darkness that was scattered throughout the area with little to no light. But I had figured that it would probably be a better place to start looking for clues on those crime organisations.

The alley I was trudging through was dank, and the ground was splashed with lots of puddles which in my mind weren't clean at all. Maybe from dirt or other things that you wouldn't want to find in any kind of water, but I was thinking about the blood that could have been spilled into them.

As much as I had tried to steel myself to do what I was planning, the idea of killing of people was something that I still didn't want to do. Hell, I shouldn't even be killing people in the first place. Whenever I had caught sight of someone that would try to attack me, I would run. And let me tell you, I was a fast runner.

Because of the time that I spent in training in Tartarus and the Dark Hour which tired me out a lot more, running in normal time was always something that was easy for me to do. It took a lot less effort which was why I could run so fast. I wouldn't admit it out loud but I had actually prided myself on my speed a little bit.

The fact that I could do it one-armed only added to my ego when it came to that. I can't say the same for my hearing though.

Even though I was pretty quick on the draw, I knew that I still wasn't the most skilled with a sword or the quickest person ever. Not only that, but I still wasn't the most alert one either. Bad mistake not to try and practice that more...

A piece of strange smelling cloth was placed over my mouth, and as I breathed in the air that the rag gave off I fell asleep.

I didn't know how long I had been out, and when I opened my eyes a harsh light pierced into them making me shut my eyes until I felt I had gotten used to it. Looking around as much as I could into the darkness, I could hear murmurs. Of what? I don't know, but I at least knew that whoever was doing this was probably one of those big crime syndicates that I wanted to get rid of.

After what they did to okaa-san…!

I hate this. I don't know why people would even try to attack people just for no good reason at all. Like now.

I had tried to move earlier, but I didn't have enough strength to break through the ropes that I guessed were binding me to a chair of some sort. How annoying… I switched my Persona to Thanatos. I knew how dangerous this was, but… firing waves of killing intent through the room, everyone that I could see was now standing stock still.

I muttered under my breath, "Tempest Slash," and the death god that I had come to recognise as my resolution with Alice used his sword to shatter whatever was binding me to pieces. Silence permeated in the room as they were trying to grasp what was happening. I would probably be surprised as well if I was normal but I'm a Persona user. Doesn't matter to me anymore.

The cocking of guns alerted me to the fact that they were indeed pointing at me. It's useless though. I changed my Persona to Kohryu, my bond to Shinjiro and readied it in the forefront of my mind. Even as a few bullets were trying to pierce through me, they were only blocked by my Persona's Pierce affinity.

Needless to say, I could feel the waves of fear rolling off them in droves as they realised it wasn't working. So… do I knock them out or do what I had planned. Well… I don't need to kill yet… I can get some more information while I'm here I suppose.

Casting Vicious Strikes so as not to kill them yet and throwing them down with punches and kicks, they fell unconscious to the ground. Well… let's go then.

I had left a few of them conscious so I could ask or… threaten them into telling me where I can find more of them. I won't get into the details of it since I did eventually get at least something from them. I can get these guys back later… I turned heel to try and find my way out.

A bang and a searing pain alerted me to my left shoulder which was seeping out blood. A gunshot I guess? But goddammit that hurts…

I could hear a gun cocking once more, but this time I was ready and jumped out of the way of the bullet easily. It didn't stop me from thinking about how much my shoulder hurt right now though. Casting a Sukukaja spell to speed me up, I ran over in a flash and knocked the gun from the guy's hand, and crushed it in my hand.

His eyes widened as he realised that he was out-matched and I was able to leave unhindered. Staggering my way out of the building, I tried to pull the bullet out from my shoulder. As much as a Diarahan can heal, I didn't want something like that embedded in there.

Summoning one of my Personae, Black Frost, he quickly pulled it out as quickly as possible. It still hurt quite a lot but it could be worse… I supposed. Then, the Diarahan from Titania… Well it would still take quite a while for it to feel completely healed but it'll do for now, and stop the bleeding.

That was when I was younger right? When I was first starting out? Yeah, I think so.

Fuck!

Coming back since I had gathered a lot of info from some other places, it was a bad idea once more. A sharp prick on my neck told me that I was drifting off…

Cold water splashed my face, immediately making me alert. My mind was too muddled to know what Persona I should use to make sure I get out of here alive… It was muffled talking all around, only being able to catch a few words from what the people around me were saying. The main thing that stood out to me was the constant mentions of 'vengeance' and 'revenge.'

Were they talking about me as if I was defenceless now that I knew that their attacks could probably hurt me right about now? It was aggravating to say the least. But inside I knew it was true. But because of that orb Elizabeth gave me I at least have resistance to every element… That was probably the biggest curse right now. It was unlikely that attacks like this were going to kill me.

I tried to move my arms to see if I was bound or something, but I couldn't tell until another glint of light was placed into my wrist and I could suddenly feel everything around me. A shot of adrenalin I guessed.

But…!

Oh fucking hell… Pain attacked me from all over my body from cuts bruises and I think that I may have even had a few bullet wounds from shooting for fun. From what I could tell right now, I don't think they were over with me. Was it because of what I did last time I was here?

I couldn't concentrate on what was actually being said by the people around me, and everything they were saying was a blur. I couldn't hear them for the life of me, not to mention that the pain was keeping my mind off their words. In a long time I had felt well and truly helpless.

Were they just going to keep me awake to feel the pain they were trying to inflict on me? Shit… I hate how I can't do anything! I hate it!

Thanatos was growing restless in my mind as I could feel cuts being put into me with heated knives. More punches were thrown at me, and some kicks to my gut, knocking me back to the ground. I couldn't move at all. I couldn't do anything! No, I couldn't defend myself from the knives or fists that were coming at me. Then finally a gunshot rang out in the area into my stomach.

I could hardly think anymore. I had just about lost all coherent thoughts and any inhibitions that I might have had before were well and truly broken to pieces. They were going to die.

"Thanatos," I muttered under my breath.

Out of blue mist, the Death god emerged with a menacing roar, brandishing his once bloodied sword. "Kill every one of them," I commanded with my still small voice, but that wouldn't have mattered. No matter what voice that I used to try and command my Personae, they would follow what I would ask of them nonetheless.

Charging forward with his orders, Thanatos tore them apart and ripped them to shreds, spraying blood all over the place and ground. I never knew…

That killing like that… He continued to bludgeon and paint the walls and ground red.

Could be… He roared in triumph as the last one was brutally torn through with his spine in pieces and his skull was crushed by only his grip.

So… Thanatos finally disappeared after massacring all of the thugs and cutting through the rope that was binding me again.

Freaking fun…!

Wasn't that the time when I actually started to like killing people? I think that was a year after that first memory… I'd be damned if I could remember every bit of that dark time.

"Where the fuck are they!?" I asked again, this time punching him in the gut.

Not going to answer huh? Your funeral.

I pulled out my sword, Deus Xiphos and placed it against his throat. "Are you sure you don't want to tell me?" I asked in a sickly sweet voice, smiling as the holy blade seeped in a bit deeper through his throat with small amounts of blood trickling out of the shallow wound.

By this time the thug was sweating bullets down his forehead and his cheeks, coursing down his grimy skin. I nodded slightly as he finally gave me what I was looking for before slitting his throat open and letting sprays of blood flood out of his freezing corpse.

Hah. I can't believe I didn't see how fun this was before. It's disappointing really. Hearing them try to peal for their lives, and watching the fear on their faces as they came ever closer to Death was just so satisfying to see. It was a rush of feelings unlike any other.

There was no chance I was going to stop with how much fun killing gave me. Feeling their essence against my skin as their blood soaked into my jacket's cloth was just exhilarating to say the least, and I always craved for more to be felt.

And there were just so many ways that I could do it too. It could only make it even more fun… I could list off a few that I've already done but that couldn't even compare to the full list. If there was even a full list that I could compare the methods that I've used to anyways… Eh, I doubt it.

Besides I don't think anyone will be able to count the amount of ways that there is to kill someone, I chuckled to myself. It is far too diverse.

Well… Anyways, I better go find that place that this thug mentioned.

It didn't take that long after honing my SP signature senses to find the place that the guy mentioned. He was still good for something I suppose.

An old abandoned factory? I should have figured. Barging inside and knocking the door down, the people who were inside were every much surprised. No, they lost control of their bodily functions and pissed themselves. I snickered to myself as I released more killing intent and stopped them right in their tracks.

"So, where the fuck's the boss?" I smirked before readying my sword, a glint of light reflecting off my blade. I love that look of fear in their eyes right now. It just looks way too hilarious. Let the darkness catch them within that fear…

"Come on! Where the fuck is he? Tell me or this guy dies," I grinned before rounding my blade around a random thug's neck. People who weren't already frozen by my actions were stiff now and they made no move. Well… except for that poor fool who had tried to point his gun at me.

Merely raising an eyebrow in his direction, I switched my Persona to Kohryu like I had done the first time just before the bullet hit me. It bounced off harmlessly, and I couldn't even bat an eye at that feeble attempt to kill me. I could only grin at his fear-stricken expression and proceed to deepen the wound in the neck of the thug that was caught in my claws.

"Come on… don't be shy!" I taunted, "Telling me where your boss is isn't that hard to do!"

Many of the people around me started to shiver and quake comically in their boots. Stand in fear! Watch! This is the show that I'm inviting you to! And, the last person left standing is the luck one who gets to see all of their comrades die brutal deaths!

Glancing around for anyone to answer, a small voice squeaked in the background that told me that he was here too. What a big mistake for the boss man to do something like that…

Ah, who am I kidding!? This just makes it a whole lot easier.

Now that I know…

Quickly slashing the man's throat all the way through, showers of blood fell around me and onto me staining my hair and already bloodied jacket. The people around me were stuck with widened eyes, and looked as if they had no more moves to play. It was certain that every single one of them was going to die now. How blissful!

Heh.

Wiping Deus Xiphos of any remaining blood, I sheathed it and readied my fists for a good scrap and blood. I knocked one of them down, and smashed my heel into their ribcage, shattering it to itty-bitty pieces and killing him as the sharp fragments pierces into his heart and lungs. I'm no expert, but that would probably explain why he was gasping for air so damn much.

Turning my attention to another scared piss-ant I smashed his head into the ground, cracking his skull and pouring out blood onto the dusty ground. Time to kick this up a notch, I thought as I channelled the powers of Vicious Strikes and Deathbound attacks to pretty much turn everyone in the room that I could see to mush. Or to pieces of flesh but whatever! Who cares!? It's just more killing for me!

After the attacks I fired pounded and shredded a majority of the people in front of me into unrecognisable pulp, I went back to my normal style by ripping off another guy's head using the physical enhancements of Thor to do so quickly and easily.

Throwing the hunk of bone and skin onto the ground, I quickly knocked down a crowd of thugs, pulling heels into their already windless chests and pulverising their flesh and ribcages. Not to mention breaking their necks on random pipes and snapping their spines every which way.

Getting tired of the same old, I finally pulled my sword out again and sliced everyone in sight. From the bottom to top, top to bottom, left to right, right to left and other directions that I wouldn't bother to list off… Until all that was left was the boss.

Grinning, I walked towards him, wading through the corpses and puddles of blood that littered the floor. I chuckled a little to myself before looking down at his trembling form and lifting him up by his neck and throat and pushing him towards the greyed wall of the warehouse.

"So, any last words?" I laughed a little, a cyan glow being cast over my eyes and intensifying my already unnerving gaze.

Hearing no answer after about a minute or so… I started to press his throat even harder against the wall, cutting off his oxygen supply until he turned blue in the face and finally died sometime after that. What makes you think I count the seconds it take to kill one of my victims?

Actually… Don't answer that. I'm sure Thoth knows or something. Little monkey's too smart for his own good.

_04/01/10 Morning_

The air was crisp and cool; as was what I expected from the season of winter. But I was surprised by how warm it actually was, when you compared it to yesterday anyways. The puddles on the roof had returned to normal, with soft pale light reflecting in the clear water.

I wonder… were those dreams a reminder…!

Stop… battling with my mind… It's not going to get you anywhere…!

I had calmed down after a little while, noticing my hoodie was still damp.

…I'll wring it out a bit later.

* * *

AN: Gomenasai! I took super long on this one… (well, for my standards anyways…) Please forgive me… OTL

Anyways, I hope you liked the filler… and you get more Minato badassery and background from him so yeah! And… a little bit of fluff since there were a lot of dark moments in this chapter. Next chapter and the next should be good for resolving this arc, so please be patient! And also, I hope you like the new cover page that I made. :)

Anyways, I'm out! Catch ya later!

Plz review and no flames!


	28. Our Contract

_07/01/10 Dark Hour_

So… what was your move Minato? I can't wait to see what you have in store for me… I chuckled to myself before heading to Tartarus' lobby. It was only a few minutes before I knew that the SP signatures that I needed were just a few seconds away from entering the tower. Including Richard's. How nice.

Each of the members of SEES filed in, with Richard coming in from the back after them. Each of them, with determined expressions. How amusing. They all think they have a good reason. I hope they at least put up a good fight…

"Makoto," Minato stepped forward first. "We're going to have to put a stop to your Shadow first. Sorry about this…" He had a saddened expression with apologetic words to match. Oh you don't need to feel sorry Minato. I'm not going to when I'm spilling all of your blood on my hands, I mused as a smile creased my face.

"That isn't Makoto. That's his Shadow." Richard stated neutrally, readying his scythe. Wolf-boy's finally stepping up is he?

_That's right! Now why don't you relay that to your friends, mutt? _I grinned with a condescending air about me.

Minato and Richard looked at each other before confirming it with the rest of the members.

"But how come he isn't talking?" Junpei asked, with a dumb wondering expression on his face.

"He lost his voice," Richard growled out.

"Uhuh," I replied what I could, coughing out some blood onto my palm and throwing the droplets onto the checked floor. I shrugged after wiping off the leftover blood that was trickling out of my mouth. _Such a tragedy._

The remaining members looked around extremely confused. I would hope so… the flickers of fear were flashing within their gazes… How delightful! So delightful, that a grin could only be painted across my face right now! The fear… the tremble within their souls… the looks that only expressed utter horror as they slowly began to realise that death was on their doorstep, and the cold sweats that would be running down their bodies as shivers made their ways up and down their spines!

_Hmph, why don't you just cut the chit-chat right now? I'm itching to hear whatever answer you have that could ever possibly help to fix me. _I sneered at Minato, only waiting for his answer before I realised that he had none. I chuckled to myself before deciding to channel it through to the other Universe wielders in the room, shocked expressions appearing on the faces of both of them.

_It's clear you have none from your silence! What a shame… _A shadow appeared over my eyes, and perhaps a crazed expression. It wouldn't matter! All that matters is that they die! _Well then, come! Come with all of your measly strength!_

I drew my swords and moved into a lazy defensive position, daring all of them to come. "Guys… scatter. This is not going to be pretty," Minato commanded. With a nod, every single one of them split up into groups, each complimenting each other's abilities. Minato teamed up with Richard, and that was no surprise to me.

Koromaru, Junpei and Yukari combined forces. Most likely to amplify their… fire power… Jokes aside that's a good strategy… Akihiko and Shinjiro conjoined their forces and that was not news to me why they would either. Aigis, Ken and Mitsuru were left. Hmph… Mitsuru… Fuuka was left at the back, as support. And Ray's a loner.

Minato and Richard led the attack first, and while they didn't have the same amount of synergy as when I would team up with Minato it was still a good amount. Well, this'll be interesting. Left alone they would inevitably die by my hands but this is going to be showing at least some amount of promise. Make this fun for me won't you!?

Swinging your blades to test the waters I suppose… I grinned as I blocked off the attacks with my two swords, one for each. I knew that Minato had a second one in waiting, so…

A Tetrakarn spell that I had put up shortly after thwarting their practice strikes reflected them back, allowing me to fire a Deathbound attack at the both of them and spraying blood in a firework-like display as they weren't able to defend themselves from the intense recoil. Well… I doubt they're close to dying from something like that.

And I can't just ignore these other attacks either, especially that super-charged Ragnarok attack that's coming at me from fire team over there. Sneering at that team, I threw up a Makarakarn shield to redirect it at Mitsuru's team. Bet they weren't really expecting that huh?

Of course I wasn't going to ignore Gemini team over there. A Ziodyne covered axe? No doubt Shinjiro suggested it. I should have expected something like that from him of all people… But that's not going to cut it.

"Can't you remember!?" Minato's voice… Minato… remember what?

Shaking my head, I tried to dodge out of the way of the incoming attack but I was nicked by the axe's lightning. What am I supposed to remember!? What!?

"Remember… she still loves you!"

Love…? What…?

"Weren't you going to protect everyone!?" Richard's voice came next.

Protect… who…

Rarrgh! Get out of my head! That will only get me nowhere! A searing pain alerted me to my arm which was burning… A few bullets, covered with ice. Mitsuru and Aigis no doubt. They were so fast that they didn't feel cold at all. They just burned through it.

_Remember your resolve!_

Damn you Minato!

_This world…_ _Can go to hell for all I care!_

Richard gritted his teeth… what are you going to do?

So did Minato. Why?

"Omega Cluster!"

"Black Heart!"

What the fuck!? Aw man. Why did you switch me out just for this!? Urgh… I put up my arms in a cross block to block the spell with a Moonless Gown shield to back me up, and if the shocked expressions on their faces were any indication they were probably wondering how I blocked those Dark Spells when my Shadow's weakness was Dark. Well, normally I don't have a weakness to anything! But… that's usually only from Universe Arcana made attacks. My Shadow can be affected by normal attacks though.

And then… Smartest idea I've had in a while. Switch out between the two of us to try and block off my weakness! I grinned at the two of them, dumbfounded by the fact that I shrugged off those Dark attacks like nothing when my only weakness was Dark.

There's such a thing as being creative.

But I think they would be out of the game for a little while. Even if Ray's trying to heal the both of them right now. Now to deal with those other stooges… With a silent Sukukaja, I flashed over to the fire team's location and basically… I ripped them apart.

I kicked Junpei in the gut and off to the side, stopping him from summoning his Persona with that gun of his. Hard. Scraps of blood flew out of his mouth, leaving him winded and out of commission for a while. He'll recover. Soon enough.

I turned my attention to Koromaru, deciding I would stop him in his tracks as well. With a mute Niflheim, I released the Ice spell to create a thick wall of ice between me and the two Fire users in the group, trapping them in a frigid box. They won't suffocate. I'm not that cruel. It's one of the most painful ways to die… Nah, more like I'm saving them for later. And they'll be able to see what I'm going to do with Yukari.

Still stunned by what I did to Junpei and Koromaru, I was easily able to grab her by the throat and pin her up against the wall. No, I wasn't choking her but anymore and she probably would start to. Well… there was one thing I could do even if I could speak fully. I can whisper.

"Why are you…?" Yukari managed to get out, even though she had that constricted throat of hers.

Barely breathing into her ear, "Because… I need all of you dead," I smiled at her horrified expression. It was exactly what I wanted to see. It was exactly what I wanted her to feel. That shiver down your spine as death approaches…

"How is there any good reason for that…?" Yukari struggled to say, wonder and anxiety reflecting in those milky-brown eyes.

"His friends are his number one source of pain…" I grinned, breathing warm air into her ear, making her shiver from the feeling…

"How is that possible?" Smiling, I slowly ran my other hand through her hair.

"It just is," I stated simply with that same maniacal grin, finally letting her drop down to the floor. Moving away before Yukari could catch her breath again, I again trapped her in another icy prison like I did Junpei and Koromaru.

Minato was looking at me with his eyes widened and mouth agape. I chuckled to myself, marvelling in the shock and anger in his cyan eyes. He was trying to keep himself under control, I could tell with that determined expression of his. Richard had much the same.

"Makoto…!" Minato stood up quickly with fury in his eyes, shouting with that same storm in his voice as he charged towards me with white and black in either of his hands. Merely taunting him with the smirk I had on, it was much easier than I had thought.

Catching his balled fists with the opposite element of Light and Darkness in mine, they neutralised each other and only turned this skirmish into one of pure strength. A gold glow started to surround his fists and I had realised that he probably just activated his Double Up ability to overpower me. Hmph.

Feeling him push me even further so that I had my feet against the staircase that led up to the labyrinth of Tartarus, as he began to push me down I flipped him over onto the stairs that I was backed up into and… cue the blood and cries of anguish. Or one, but it doesn't matter.

Actually, I'm more surprised that he hasn't died yet. Stubborn little bastard.

Richard was absolutely jarred by what happened to Minato, gritting his teeth and not sure what to do. Until a driven look appeared in his gaze. "Absolute Zero!" I could feel the air around me becoming frigid, the moisture in the air forming tiny crystals in the atmosphere.

Now, that's interesting… I mused as a sphere of ice began to encase me, trapping me firmly inside. I couldn't move as the ice moved so that it wrapped around my arms and legs, planting me in place as cold spires pricked into my skin a little. There was no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be able to break out of this kind of attack. Well… let's see what happens now.

Breathing out slowly, a cloud of mist appeared… It disappeared quickly though, as the ice around me formed cracks and broke apart. Was that all? Mind you, there was quite a bit of blood but it just really… it really didn't hurt all that much. Trying to pierce through my heart to incapacitate me was a very bad idea on your part, Richard.

Realising it didn't work, he charged forward with his scythe in hand trying to engage in blade to blade combat again. What good will those do for you? Unless you've got something else up your sleeve you're dead. Hm…

His scythe was shining white, reminding me of the time that Lycanos went up against me… Okay, maybe you can make this interesting for me. But first… To get rid of those other chumps. Oh now that idea I just gained is quite a good one. Let's see if it'll work!

Drawing him around the lobby as he kept on swinging, he kept on my trail with white after-images following his blade. I jumped out of the way I knew Akihiko and Shinjiro were still recovering, causing Richard to nick the two of them as he came by. If he had realised any sooner what I was doing, he probably would have killed them. But he's found out my plan already.

Hm… Niflheim. The winds that were swirling around the room turned frigid, bringing thick layers of frost to settle on the walls and turn the lobby into an ice prison. Smiling as I knew that Akihiko, Fuuka and Shinjiro should have been stuck down by the glaciating breaths of chilling currents. The ones I knew were left were Ken, Aigis and most certainly Mitsuru.

Grinning at Richard, I kept on dodging the attacks he was telegraphing to me by hairs. I kept on leading him in the direction of the remaining group, but he kept on steering me away from my goal. It seems he's not dumb. I applaud thee for seeing through my plans. Don't you just love sarcasm?

You know what? I'm getting bored.

Skidding back on the ice as I evaded another swipe, I caught the incoming blade between my palms and completely stopping him in his tracks. That shocked expression was priceless.

Moving the blade out of the way with one of my hands and ignoring the small amount of blood that was trickling out of my hand as the sharper edge of the scythe dug into my palm, I paralysed him with a Thunder Reign attack that had been gathering in my grip. I could only imagine how shocking that must have been for him. Well, I actually could but that was beside the point. Yes, the pun was intentional.

Welp, have fun Richard. I'm going to have some fun with Mitsuru, Aigis and Ken…

Well… I may not have been paying that much attention to Ray, but I knew that she was going to be a problem. She was a particularly powerful Persona user after all. And in the rage she's in she's not going to let up on me.

"Great Aether!" As I thought.

She glared at me before releasing a kind of golden seal in my direction. I probably don't want to find out what would happen if I was caught in one of those. That would be wholly unpleasant I'm sure…

Evading that attack as the golden wolf seal brushed just by me, I fought back with Chaos Element and Omega Cluster spells. The Dark spells exploded as she pierced the wolf phantoms headfirst into the spheres of Dark energy. Stubborn, aren't you!?

Fine!

Grydyne!

The gravity altering spell stopped her in her tracks as she was forced down by the intense pressure. You're not going to get out of that for a while. Now is it just me or was Richard throwing some worried glances at her? How cute.

Back to business then!

Aigis moved into position to protect both Ken and Mitsuru, pointing her guns at me and threatening to shoot if I came any closer. Not to mention that she also had her Persona at her disposal too…

"Pallas Athena!" I thought so.

Gritting my teeth I tried to think of a way to get rid of her Persona. Well, her weakness is Electricity. In my mind, I commanded tendrils of lightning to shoot through to my fists. Can you guess what happened?

I smashed my fists into the shield that the war goddess carried, stunning her. The next haymaker was planted right in her face, knocking her down and making the Persona dissipate. Aigis herself was beat into submission and was in no position to defend either of the Persona users that were standing behind her.

Ken jumped agilely to defend Mitsuru. But why the fuck are they all defending her!? It's weird. He pointed his spear at me, channelling a faint amount of Almighty energy into the end of it. Interesting…

Since when did he get Megidolaon anyways? I'm very curious. Saying nothing. Well, I had nothing to say and he was set on his resolve. Fine then. Mudoon.

Dark rings of energy started to surround Ken. He started to weave through the pads of cursing material easily avoiding them. I should have known. Someone with almost as much speed as Koromaru would be able to avoid those just like that. Welp, I should kick this up a notch then.

Starting to shoot the balls of Dark energy instead of one-hit killing Ken, it proved to be a lot harder for him to get out of the way of. "Megidolaon!" From his spear as he jumped, the purple and gold energy shot out from it in a concentrated beam. It's obvious to me that he's been practising at least! How funny, he's actually become pretty strong!

"Ziodyne!" Shots of gold electricity sparked from the end of his weapon, giving me only a few milliseconds to dodge that attack as well. Needless to say, I did get hit and by fuck it actually hurt a lot. Ken was surprised by the fact that the attack worked, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Primal Force!" His Persona formed in front of me, bashing my head into the ground.

Goddamn… Struggling to get myself up, I spit out the blood that had started to pool in my mouth as a result of that attack. Hmph, okay then Ken… I'll go all out on you.

Omega Cluster…! His Persona was just about to disappear, but…

The blasts of red and black Dark energy crashed into the zodiac Persona, not only breaking it back into mist and glass but also totalling Ken and leaving him unconscious on the floor. Now it was only Mitsuru left.

I approached her quietly with my hands in my pockets until our faces were only a few inches away from each other. Her look was trembling too… What's… happening…!?

"Mitsuru…" I whispered quietly, no malice lacing my voice whatsoever.

"…Minato?" She asked tentatively.

I nodded slightly, finally thanking Thanatos that I had control over myself again. "Yeah… It's me…" I looked towards the ground, looking for an exit from her gaze.

"Minato…" Her voice was soft… Why aren't you angry? Why not? Her arms wrapped me in a hug… A warm one to drive away the frost that was surrounding the lobby and melt every crystal in the room… Goddammit, why did I forget!? She still… she still does love me doesn't she? She knows that I have to go… I must be the biggest idiot in history.

"I'm sorry…" I murmured into her ear.

"It's fine…" She replied, breathing warm air into mine. That feeling… it was the same as the other Mitsuru… That thing she did always made me submissive to whatever she wanted me to do. I could barely hold my own weight up…

"I messed up… I'm a moron…" I silently cursed in my mind about what I've done, and how much I just wanted to do everything again. Everything… Press a restart button or something… I don't care if I have to do this again I've turned this whole fucking thing to shit! What have I messed up!? What more can I do wrong!? What can I do to make this right again…?

"Maybe. But you're my… our moron, Minato." She smiled, capturing my lips in a kiss. Needless to say I was surprised. But right now… I didn't care about anything else. The ice that was already starting to melt was completely gone now… This sensation… it was just so familiar and enticing I just wanted to stay like this for a while… Just for a little while.

Oh god, don't take this moment away from me now… I can't… I don't want to let go… not right now… But it was her who broke out of the lock. But it was her… It's fine…!

"A bit later, Minato." She smiled knowingly, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking at that moment. Oh goddamn… I am so fucking hers right now.

Shaking my head out of my errant thoughts, I silently cast Salvation spells around the room to heal any wounds and status aliments that might have come about. So… who just set the record for screwing up everything? Me. I think this may be the… I lost count to how many times I've done everything just completely wrong.

I just hope that sometime… I'll get the chance to do this right. If not then fine, but… It would definitely make me feel better. Just for me. Just this one time. I know that I can do everything so much better. I'll fix everything. I can fix everything, I know it. There's going to be a way… Fate… humour me just this once… I beg you, please…

The stars… just… anything.

But there's just one question I need to ask.

Elizabeth once told me that I would be protected from my Shadow so long as my contract with the Velvet Room was held up. And I have been doing so… Why was my Shadow forced out? Why?

Argh!

Pangs of pain and a dull ache began to attack my head, causing me to clutch it… What is this!? Something… I don't know what but goddammit this fucking hurts! A blue…

A blue butterfly…

_08/01/10 Evening_

After my eyes fluttered open, I found myself staring at the ceiling of my dorm room. I could tell it was dark out since there wasn't any light pouring in like there normally was in the daytime. It was light enough though that I knew it to be at least evening instead of late night though.

But damn, I felt like complete utter shit right now… I really don't want to move…

It's just so damned sobering… To know that I'm much more of an idiot than usual this way… Admitting how pathetic you actually are isn't easy. Not to mention the things that my Shadow did… They were horrible to say the least. To say the most would be to say that they were complete and utter atrocities.

But at the end of that fight, I saw… That blue butterfly… Philemon. What does he have to do with this though? I mean, it's Philemon. So what was he doing there?

**_Thank Thanatos you're finally back…_**Nyx sighed in relief. **_Something went wrong and I couldn't communicate with you at all… Something extremely powerful._**

"Like what, Nyx?" I asked.

**_Perhaps it was just my imagination… but I thought I saw butterfly scales on the darkness of your heart..._** Nyx replied.

Butterfly… scales? There's only one person I know who can do that! But… why!? This is… _Philemon. What did you do?_

"I was trying to abolish the darkness in your heart," The Velvet Room deity stated simply.

_The darkness in my… You've gotta be shitting me._ He was the one… _You were the one who drew out my Shadow!_

"Yes, that is true," He didn't sound sorry at all… "I needed to win my end of the bet."

_Bet…? What are you…!?_ I shouted back at him.

"My bet with Nyarlathotep. I made the bet with him that the light and goodness in human hearts will prevail over the chaos and darkness within, and that humanity will be led to enlightenment," Philemon started to explain.

_So what, you tried to force my darkness out? _I spat.

After a moment of silence, 'yes' was what came forth from Philemon.

_What didn't you understand!? Doing that almost killed my friends and already killed a myriad of different people!_ I retorted.

"It was necessary," He replied simply, as if shrugging it off. I… I can't do this!

I can't… this contract! My own actions, right!? But this wasn't my fault! No… goddammit, Philemon… _You're going fucking down._

"I see," Philemon said with a resigned tone, "I should have known. Go to the bottom of Monad when you're ready."

All at once several sounds of shattering glass rang out in my mind, echoing throughout painfully. Make it stop…! Stop…! There were… twenty two of them… Looking around in the recesses of my soul, most of my Personae were gone with only Messiah, Thanatos, Orpheus Crescendo and Tartarus left. No way…

He broke the contract!?

Breathing heavily after most of my power was taken away, I tried to calm myself down… But no, my mind was numbed and I could barely reach to the inner parts of my mind… Losing… grip…!

It felt like there was something… warm… and gentle, tugging on my arm. Her voice was faint… But I could still hear it. The familiar free-falling sensation of being taken to my mindscape surrounded me, landing next to Nyx. I could barely see her…

**_"Minato, you're aware that you just lost your Wild Card ability?"_** She asked with a worried tone. I nodded weakly in response, not knowing what this had to do with her.

**_"Look, right now I need you to trust me when I ask you this…" _**I blinked once or twice before gesturing for her to go on. **_"Would you accept this contract and take responsibility for all of your actions?"_**

They were nearly the same words that were said by the Velvet Room residents after I had found out how everything there works.

Wait. She would give me her own contract? How, and why? How was a no-brainer for me after realising how powerful she actually could be, but why? It would definitely be a good thing for me if I got another contract and at least gain a power similar to the Wild Card that I used to have… I wonder why still.

I nodded once, holding my pinky out. She seemed confused before she closed her eyes and realised just what I meant. She smiled, linking her finger with mine before a huge rush of energy filled up my mindscape and the sun-kissed sky turned black as night, as if a curtain was thrown over the colours.

**_"Thank Thanatos… I guess I should explain though, huh?" _**I smiled as a signal for her to continue.

**_"First… You can summon my avatar in the form of the mask that it was wearing and you'll have access to its powers." _**I remember that. It was powerful no doubt, and it couldn't be killed. Okay then.

**_"I have a few Personae that you can use as well." _**Well, it's good that I haven't completely lost my touch then.

**_"You can ask anything you want of me and you'll have access to all of my powers." _**Even… that technique she used just before I was about to kill her the last time!? That's definitely good. **_"Just remember that you have to stick to our contract alright?" _**

I wouldn't dream of breaking it. I had stuck to my promise before; I'm not going to now.

"…Thank you, Nyx." I whispered quietly, not being able to say it any louder than I just did.

**_"It's nothing. I heard your wishes, so I'm going to grant them." _**She cupped her hand against my cheek, her eyes showing no signs of deception. Not like I thought they would. Not her or any other god out there. Right… the night queen. She would have some control over the stars wouldn't she? I was asking her I guess…

I may as well give her this, even though I don't think it would be possible to even pay her back for this. She gets almost nothing in return for this contract except for seeing me happy… The least… I can do…

All in a rush, I had just pressed my lips against hers. I couldn't talk, but actions can say a million words or more. A multitude of things were running through my head, and I couldn't speak for Nyx… But I would guess that many thoughts were brewing about in her sharp mind as well.

But most of all…

If I'm able to do what I plan to…

I love Nyx…

And if nothing messes with those plans…

Everything will turn out for the better. I hope so anyways.

Well, I wasn't really focused on what I was actually doing while I was kissing Nyx right now… No, I was trying to feel through the thoughts that were running through my head. They were so tumultuous, and reeling. I was only trying to get a hold on them… it was difficult. They were moving too fast. It was like some really difficult Shuffle Time event. I had a hard enough time with those as it was.

But that's all I was right now. I couldn't help that I felt like I was betraying both Mitsurus here, but I have to question now. Do I love her? Either of them, really? At least when I do what I want to do… everything should be fixed. And then I won't feel as guilty about it afterwards. Maybe I was just being selfish for wanting everything to go the way I want. I don't know anymore.

They were knots that I was tying up within myself, bringing myself into a twister of unwanted resistance. They were things that I just wanted to get rid of. My Shadow was right about that I guess… But if there was anything I was sure about, it was that I didn't want to see my friends die either. It was just that one thing wrong.

I sure am selfish for wanting to shape everything in the future to my liking. In my vision I suppose. Damn, I just sound like some kind of villain right now. But right now… There was another one thing that I was sure of.

I wasn't going to play as fate's bitch any longer. I wanted to break free from some of the inevitability. Some things have to happen, but I'm cutting off as many of my strings as I can. Fate can go screw itself for all I care now. And you know what? I think I should just enjoy the moment right now.

But honestly, that was mostly just because I couldn't think with my mind becoming increasingly numbed as we were locked. Not with the way I knew my cheeks were heating up right now.

Slowly breaking out of the embrace again, I could see the tinting of gold scattered across Nyx's cheeks. There was no doubt in my mind that she liked it too. And of course with what I was planning right now, there just wouldn't be any more remorse from either of us.

During those moments with her I felt like I could do anything…

**_"I guess our contract is for real now, huh?" _**she giggled a little. Calming myself down, I nodded weakly with a grin. **_"Don't go breaking the contract or my heart now." _**Nyx added playfully. I gave her a smirk which pretty much said, 'who do you take me for?'

**_"Of course, of course…" _**she replied knowingly and pecked me on the cheek before I finally felt the fatigue that I was holding back from all the shenanigans that had been happening lately.

**_"Why don't you rest? You missed a whole day of school already you know?" _**Nyx smiled and made more space on the bench we were sitting on and gently beckoned my head into her lap.

Tiredness aside for a moment… I had to wonder to myself why it felt so vaguely… familiar. But not now. Hopefully I won't forget, but even if I do it doesn't matter right now. All I need right now is some sleep.

**_"Good night…" _**Nyx's voice faded as I found my way into Hypnos' clutches.

_16/01/10 Dark Hour_

While a majority of my Personae were taken away I still retained the powers that I gained from the God Plain and my swords strangely enough. Nyx hypothesised that it was because some of my powers were being protected by the Universe Arcana's powers. I didn't really question it too much. Considering how much Philemon had taken from me, I was going to take everything that I could get and keep.

Snapping my fingers I landed at the bottom of Monad like I had planned, also feeling some other SP signatures beginning to move. Richard and Minato. I should have known. They're probably wondering what I'm doing right now.

That aside… the pressure inside the bottom floor was intense, and comparable if not even more powerful than Nyx's killing intent. Quickly summoning the Nyx Avatar mask, I could feel Death's power instilling a new strength within me. No, I wasn't stupid enough to use this for the first time but… it was always a wonder to feel it filling up my SP to unimaginable heights, and to feel it tensing my muscles with such unruly force.

Seeing through the eyes of the white mask was just like looking through normally. Thankfully. It would have been a lot more difficult to fight if it was like a normal mask. Well then… come on out Philemon.

As if on cue with my thoughts a glittering blue butterfly fluttered lazily into the room, spreading delicate gem-like scales around on the ground with each flap of its wings. Within a fading of light any semblance of the blue butterfly's form had all but disappeared, only being left on Philemon's mask. And was it just me or was he wearing something different?

On top of his black bodysuit he was wearing a white lab coat. Something about the air around him told me that I would definitely not be winning this battle easily if at all. It's not about winning right now. It's to prove my point. If Minato and Richard come to help as well I would definitely gain a one-up on him. It would at least push the odds towards my favour a little bit.

"Show me your resolve. Now, give me your all!" He shouted.

Getting right into this I suppose. I nodded in response. Even if my voice had at least recovered a little bit and I could talk at just below normal speaking volume, I still didn't want to strain it too much. But, I'll go softly then.

"I'm just a step away. I'm just a breath away," I started softly easily going on to the next line of the song. "Losing my faith today. Fallin' off the edge today." Guess who? The faith that I once had in fate and Philemon and anything else that wanted to screw around with my destiny, had all but faded. I could control my own future dammit!

"I am just a man; Not superhuman," I may be powerful but that's only because of my friends. As much as I might hate to admit it, I rely on others around me and count on them a great number of times. I put more confidence in them than I do myself if I know what they can do. "I'm not superhuman. Someone save me from the hate…"

Clutching my hands tightly around the swords that were materialising in my grip, I could feel the girth of the crystal blade easily weighing them down. Not that the pressure in the room was helping. Once I swung them a few times though, I knew that my practice was coming back to me. Yeah. I'm ready.

Maybe he's a mind reader?

"I'm not going easy on you." I could feel a smile curling behind that mask of his as a beam of blue white energy shot out of his golden Persona. **_"It's a Havoc attack called Photon Cannon! Use Tetrakarn."_** Nyx advised. Alright then…

Forming a silver mirror in front of me, I braced myself for the spell if it turned out that the Tetrakarn couldn't deflect it after all. If what Nyx said is true, then it is actually a sub-type from the Physical section. To my surprise, yes the mirror did reflect the beam back at him. That Havoc attack sure didn't look like a Physical attack…

He disappeared out of the way of the reflected Photon Cannon, leaving his blue butterfly scales behind. So… where'd you go?

"How's this!?" His voice echoed around the room and bounced around off the walls. That same voice approached my ears from every direction, muddling my mind. I'm not going to get beaten by something like this though…!

A spike in SP alerted me to an incoming spell that took the form of a stormy wave of water that was just about to crash upon me. **_"This is Aquary Tide. Water magic." _**Nyx informed me. Water magic huh? Yes, I did know what this spell was but this was my first time seeing it for real. The closest I could get was the spell infused bullets of Aquary Tide from Charon's revolvers.

If this is what you're playing at I'm not going to hold back either. The name I muttered was, 'Geras.'

In myths, Geras was depicted as a shrivelled up old man. Well…

A heavily armoured soldier with the most rusted of metal appeared in front, slashing an opening in the wall of water with his equally red sword. Shortly after disappearing in navy blue mist, the hole that he had made in the water allowed me to get out of the onslaught unscathed.

"Well then…" Philemon's voice rang out again, but this spell I could feel… it was decidedly different. I couldn't tell what kind of element it was, strangely enough.**_ "For some reason I can't sense any particular element, but it's definitely magic."_**

Same thoughts here. Blue lights surrounded me, and I could only guess what it was going to do. Achlys. A black fog surrounded me and swirled in a thick cloak of darkness that the lights just couldn't get through. Achlys was the personification of the mist of death. Oh yeah, misery and sadness too. I've got plenty of that in stock for now.

So you finally reappeared? Thank Thanatos. That was getting on my nerves. No-one needs to disappear for that long.

"This might hurt," Philemon warned.

**_"Eternal White. Holy spell. Please don't get hit by it…"_** Nyx cautioned.

"Why this one in particular?" I asked quietly.

**_"He'll get healed if you get hit by it,"_** She replied.

"Oh. Well that's just dandy," I muttered.

That gold Persona of his appeared over his form again, glowing white as it charged the attack. A white glyph appeared just under my feet, and I knew at that moment… it was time to move.

Casting a minor Sukukaja, I dashed out of the range of the circle, and stopped just behind Philemon. Before it could even try to fire the intended attack, I summoned another Persona. This time… Momus. He was a being with an ethereal, ghost-like body and a singular white mask where the head would be.

Throwing a simple punch into the back of the head of Philemon's gold Persona, it dissipated into blue mist and shards. It was not only that; Philemon himself looked to have taken some damage from that as well. Thou art I, and I am thou right?

"Ahh, nice. But we're nowhere near done of course." He jumped back from me, and a blue floating card appeared in his hand as he skidded back. No…

No way…

Once he crushed the card in his hand the form of Odin appeared behind him. The Persona looked confused for a while before realising what was happening. It stood still, not attacking me at all. But that was before Philemon looked up at it, and a glassy-eyed look appeared on Odin's face before he threw his electrified spear at me.

That's… That's one of my old Personae!

Trying to snap myself out of my thoughts, I summoned my next Persona Eris. Strife.

This Persona took the form of a young girl with pale skin and ebony hair in a white night gown, holding a golden apple in her hand. She threw the apple onto the ground before disappearing in navy mist.

The apple?

It shone a bright golden colour and exploded, releasing a Nova Cyther attack which burst with a flurry of colours like fireworks. The Nuclear spell crashed into Odin and made him dissipate into cyan mist, also doing some moderate damage to the Velvet Room master.

But…

A piercing pain entered my body when Odin was destroyed. Like a bullet to my… soul…

It's still my Wild Card! And attacking my Personae means damage to the holder. Oh shit… I can't attack the Personae that he summons either! Odin was one of my stronger Personae too… jolts of pain shot through my chest, forcing me to my knees.

Fuck.

"Pandemonium!" Two voices called out.

**_"That attack was a combined Almighty and Darkness spell. The sources are… you should already know." _**Nyx giggled a little bit after she informed me. Yeah, I knew who they were. I wonder what took them so long.

A blue and black flash of light engulfed Philemon's form. Once the light faded, Philemon's form was revealed with his tattered coat. Not only that, but it appeared that he had taken some serious damage from that attack. It's just what I would have expected from Minato and Richard.

"Whatcha doing?" Minato asked with his swords at the ready.

I merely shrugged before replying with, _I'm getting revenge on this guy._

"Why?" Richard asked with a small chuckle.

_He was the one who forced out my Shadow. _I growled, waiting for Philemon's next move.

"Can we try to kill him?" Minato smiled sweetly.

I don't understand how he can look like that, and then… bishi smile. I can't wrap my head around that. **_"You do that as well you know." _**Nyx quipped. Well that's comforting.

_What do you think I'm trying to do here? _I joked as I saw him charging up for another Photon Cannon attack.

_Minato, ready an Aquedyne. Richard, go for a Heartful Cry._ I commanded, already powering up a spell for this combination. Namely, Aquary Tide.

Minato nodded while Richard nodded slowly. Minato always knew that I would have some purpose to what I was planning, but Richard still hasn't known me for as long. But between us Universe wielders… I think we'll do fine.

A high pressure shot of indigo water rushed at the still charging Philemon, while a wave of water from my spell engulfed it with stormy floods. The last ingredient to this Water spell was an Almighty attack. The waves from Richard's roar distorted the waves of water, forming it into a whirlpool that stopped Philemon's spell in its tracks when it was released.

The torrent of spells crashed into the Havoc spell, eventually ploughing through it and knocking Philemon back with the combined force of the Maelstrom Fusion Spell. Now that's teamwork if I've ever seen it.

Honestly…

**_"He's nowhere near done, you know that?" _**Nyx questioned.

_I know. But despite what I said before, I wasn't here to try and kill him. That would take away far too much of my precious time, and would be darned difficult. _I shook my head slightly.

"You three certainly are powerful. Perhaps if you continue, you would be able to defeat me as well. Possibly…" Philemon said as he staggered to his feet.

"Philemon. I don't need to have a lack of darkness in my heart to be able to do good things. In fact… it would be near impossible to have just light within a person. There will be at least an inkling of darkness within as well." I explained.

"I may have been misguided this time. How ironic. The guide is the one who needs guiding…" He chuckled to himself. "You may have your Wild Card back."

Even though the cyan card fell into my hands, I knew that in my heart I really didn't need it. With a contractor as restricting as Philemon, I knew that I would be able to do a little bit more with my new contract. I shook my head and teleported it back to Philemon.

"Keep it. I don't need it." I smirked at the Velvet Room master.

"Really?" Even he was surprised. Someone actually passing up the Wild Card of all things? Seemed like a really weird idea to me, if not just loony. "You truly are a remarkable guest…" He muttered, taking the pulsing blue card in his hand and made it vanish to who knows where.

I gave him that expression that said, 'who do you take me for?' like I did Nyx and nodded in agreement. "Even without it… I'm still a wild card." I grinned and slowly removed the white Avatar mask, making it disappear in black mist.

"Good luck then, Minato." With those final words from the blue butterfly that had replaced Philemon's form it too faded away, leaving only the shimmering cyan scales and mist behind.

Time for you to play to my music, Fate!

* * *

AN: This one wasn't as bad of a wait as the last one, and for that I am glad! It would make me sad inside if you guys waited for this long, and because I love writing this story too much to stop it right here.

Anyways, this is the conclusion to this arc and next should be… the second Promised Day so look forward to that! Hopefully you can catch my intentions for the story in the chapter. They were pretty blatant pieces of information after all. XD

And yeah, I bet none of you ever expected that he would have been the one responsible for Minato's Shadow. And I bet none of you would have ever expected that to happen with Nyx, not to mention renouncing the Wild Card. I have well and truly screwed things over in this AU story. =D

But I hope you like the changes and plot twists in this chapter anyways! Tell me what you think and what I need to improve, please! Catch ya later!

Plz review and no flames!

PS: Cyber cookie to those who know what Makoto was singing! I know one person will get it. =)


	29. Reshuffle

_30/01/10 Dark Hour_

"Hey Nyx… When we meet up tomorrow I need you to do me a favour." I whispered quietly to her.

**_"What kind?"_** She asked with a smile on her face.

The words that I spoke to her had definitely hit her once I had let them out, and it was no wonder why. Seemed like the craziest idea that I had in the longest time. I think it might've been actually. Maybe you thought I had gotten tired… To be honest, I am. But that isn't going to stop me from changing everything that I can. I'm too selfish to let Fate run her course. She's run me for too long. It's my turn.

**_"Minato… you're sure about this I suppose. I can see why you want to do it. Alright. I can try. Luckily I should be at full power on the Promised Day tomorrow so all you have to do is ask once you meet up with me."_** Nyx explained what I had to do. It was simple. Now, all I have to do is wait… Oh right. I still haven't told people about the Reaper yet. Almost forgot about that. I chuckled awkwardly to myself before falling asleep with my head on her lap again.

_31/01/10 Late Night_

I was just getting dressed into my Reaper clothes. No doubt they were all going to be in for a huge surprise… I can't wait to see the looks of surprise on their faces! I grinned to myself before the Dark Hour struck, and I teleported to Tartarus. Before musing about the fact that the thought I just had earlier sounded scarily like my Shadow. Ok, ok. I guess he is really my Shadow sometimes.

_Dark Hour_

The team had reached the top of the Adamah block where the entrance to the top of the tower was. There were so many damned… crystals everywhere! It was too bright for my liking as well. Ugh. Isn't there a function so that I can change the brightness of light in the room?

A moment of silence.

Okay, I guess not. Figures. Tartarus should have that installed sometime.

Footsteps.

Lifting myself up off the swivel chair which I had teleported into, secretly missing the fact that I could have tried that evil villain thing. Oh, they're not here yet so…

Settling myself back down into the chair, I turned on it and faced the stairs where they were filing in. Needless to say, there were blinks of surprise and other such things. Minato was busy marvelling how I got my swivel chair here. So unrelated, but that's pretty eye-catching isn't it?

"What's the Reaper doing here?" Junpei asked as he eyed me suspiciously. Oh, this takes me back to the first time that this happened. He was wondering back then as well.

I snapped my fingers to dispel the illusion of me that I had planted to go along with them. They all thought it was me, I can tell. Once it vanished, flustered looks went around as all of them save Richard and Minato wondered where 'I' went.

"I just wanted to say…" I grinned at each of them as they waited for what I was about to say. "I have fooled almost all of you for about ten months!" I chuckled as I took off my hat and the bandages, my laugh only becoming louder as silence permeated among the members of SEES.

They were all like this last time too… I can see the looks of confusion, vivid in my memory.

I grinned at all of them, waiting for their delayed reactions.

Minato sighed, saying something that got everyone's attention. "You still haven't explained a few things to them, you know. Firstly, why you've been doing this, second. That reason, and last… what you're going to be doing when Nyx comes around." He listed them off casually.

"Oh yeah. That is true." I mused.

Still dumb-founded I see. I guess my Reaper form is what I should explain first.

"You're all probably wondering why I did this," Everyone was interrupted from their musing. "Would you have fought me seriously if you knew who I was?" I asked, spinning my hat on my finger.

"Probably… not I guess?" Yukari replied unsurely. I nodded back.

"Why were you fighting us anyways?" Junpei asked impatiently.

"I guess I should start from the beginning right now," I sighed, getting myself ready for a huge explanation. "My name is Minato Arisato."

"What!?" Shinjiro blurted out. Those were the kinds of reactions I was expecting.

"How is that possible?" Fuuka questioned with a bewildered expression.

"Put this shortly, I'm from another world in which the Fall has been stopped. I've been through this whole journey once before, which is why I had so much experience and power already." Akihiko was obviously trying to wrap his head around what I was saying while Shinjiro was still stunned. Fuuka was fidgeting about nervously while Yukari was biting her lip. Ken had been silent this whole time, but he didn't seem scared. I think his eyes were sparkling in wonder. I guess it was sorta like a super hero scenario to him. Junpei had much the same reaction as the little kid, with his eyes shining. Minato, Mitsuru and Koromaru had neutral expressions on. Of course it was because I had told them about this before, and it was no surprise. Richard had a small frown on his face. Why was a mystery to me… Lastly, but not least, Ray had a bit of a knowing expression on her. Huh.

"Anyways, considering the fact that I've stopped the Fall before… I'm going to stop it again. After that I'm gonna go back to my world." And… delayed reactions. Three… two… one…

Minato looked off sadly while Mitsuru had a forlorn expression on her. Koromaru whined with a face like Minato. Oh Thanatos… I almost couldn't stand it at this point! I knew this was what would happen, but… it's just heart-wrenching…

"Wait, what!?" Akihiko blinked.

"Look, I don't belong here. I wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place." I tried to reason, even though I pretty much knew that would be pointless now.

"But, senpai you can't leave!" Junpei growled.

I knew it.

"After all that you're just going to up and leave!?" Shinjiro snarled with an accusing glare.

It hurt… I flinched under their combined gazes.

"But you've spent so much time with us and looked out for us…" Yukari mumbled.

Looking out? I put all of you in danger, multiple times…

"Without you it won't be the same…" Fuuka said timidly.

"You knew this was how they were going to react." Richard shot a stony look at me.

I chuckled. They were all probably looking at me like I was crazy, and maybe I was. But I lost my sense of normal a long time ago. Not because their reactions were funny. But because I knew that I was a complete utter jerk at this moment. Talk about cruel huh…

"Are you tired?" Minato asked softly.

I looked up from my musings to my otouto's knowing smile. Was I tired? Maybe I was. No, I am. In my heart, yes I do want to stop. But my will to make everything right again… it wasn't going to let me of all people drop my resolve just because of something trivial like that. I've had long enough of a rest. I want to go back home. Even if it will be different.

"I've got people waiting for me…" I whispered to myself.

Richard and Minato could hear my thoughts perfectly. I knew that they had heard. I've got my sister waiting. I have things to fix.

"I'm a fucking selfish prick, I know. Applause," I smiled as I opened my eyes to look at their reactions. "But, that isn't going to stop me from going home." I stated, staring at each of the looks in everyone's eyes with hardened resolve.

I could see a few mouths about to protest but I released a wave of the Avatar's killing intent to force them back, and make my point perfectly clear. I wasn't going to go back on this, especially with how I had made my choice with Nyx. So now… what are you going to do?

"It's fine with me…" Minato whispered quietly. "He needs to go back home, right?" I could hear it in his voice. He really didn't want me to leave… First Mitsuru, now my otouto. I knew that he was probably trying to resist some tears, but that struggle was being forced out as the shakiness and trembling in his voice.

"Minato… he has people waiting for him. And he hasn't been able to see them for about a year now." He explained, even though there were slight quivers going throughout his speech. "Even though… they're all really the same as us… They still aren't the same as us." Tears were glazing his eyes, shining brighter blue than I had ever seen before.

"Hmph. Do not imply that you're copies, if that's what you're thinking of." I glared at him, daring him to even think about it again. They're all different. They aren't the same. In this world, I'm very different. So are the others, because they don't have the same experiences. They haven't met Minako either.

Minako…

My gaze softened as I looked towards the ground. "Anyways… I'm going to say my last sayoonaras right now. So see ya later."

I knew it. It just didn't sound like enough. It was just a simple goodbye. Short, succinct, unceremonious and sad. I sighed before they could get a hold of me, and I quickly teleported to the top of the tower. Waiting was the Nyx Avatar. I walked slowly over to the Avatar, standing just in front of its height.

It held its hand out to me. Nodding slightly, I took hold of its gloved hand and rose up to the air with it. A bright flash of light and I knew that this was where I had met Nyx the first time. Once in the white shine, the Avatar had disappeared, leaving me alone with Nyx's egg form.

Waiting for a while, the egg broke apart and the form of Nyx that I knew so well replaced the yellow shards of the case. She descended to just in front of where I was standing.

**_"Are you ready Minato?" _**She asked with a small smile.

I replied, "Yeah." Second thoughts were beginning to encroach into my mind, but I quickly shook it off. This was what I was going to do.

Last thing I need to make sure of… "The Fall will be stopped here right?"

**_"Yes."_** I was almost expecting her to say 'of course' like she always did. But alright.

"Thank you…" I whispered with a grateful smile before capturing her lips in another short kiss.

"I can't thank you enough." I said softly.

**_"You don't need to. But now… perhaps we should go." _**Nyx replied sternly, running her hands through my hair until she reached the ribbon that held up my ponytail. **_"You're going to have to do without it for a while you know?"_**

"I'll live." I joked, the next effect being near instantaneous.

It was searing heat all around me, and I looked around to try and get a hold of my bearings. That's right. "Hold on Minako!" I shouted as I unbuckled her out of her seat as her small form was so weak. It was something that now… Now that I was here, it was just so familiar. The burning smoke and the stench of blood were so recognisable. This moment… on the Moonlight Bridge…

_Dark Hour_

I was a little unaccustomed to the lack of strength that I possessed right now. I knew that I would be much weaker than when I was older but it really surprised me. Relaxing my imoto's form on my lap until she woke up was so nerve-wracking, even though I knew that she was still alive. It must have been just how it looked like. Her sleepy face…

"Minato-nii!" She looked around frantically before her gaze landed on my cyan one. I hugged her close, whispering reassuring words into her ears as I held her close. It might have been out of character for me when I was little, but right now with the mentality of an eighteen year old I really couldn't help myself.

"Shh… We'll be fine," I told her, almost on the verge of tears. I had my respect for my parents, that was sure… but I loved Minako pretty much, the most in the world. I was just too glad that things would be a lot better this time around. "We should try to find a way out of here…"

Minako only nodded dumbly before saying, "What about okaa-san and otou-san?" Worry was lacing her words, and I couldn't blame her. With everything that was happening right now, I knew that I would have been worried the first time around. But, I already knew the answer.

I stayed silent until she figured it out from the depressed expression that I was donning as I thought about whether it would have been possible to save our parents too. But, I'm going to take what I can get right now. Now wasn't the time to think about loss.

"Ani…" Minako hugged me tight after she realised what happened, thinking about the two of them. Now… I really couldn't remember them too much. So much had happened that it just slipped out of the grasp of my memory.

Carefully lifting her up and trying to find a way out from the bridge, I felt a sudden amount of killing intent which I knew. It was so familiar… I knew it all too well. Death.

Quickening my pace to flee the primal roars and bullet sounds that I knew we could both hear we managed to get some distance away before Death's grotesque form appeared just behind me. I almost tripped over from the force that just passed by me, but Minako wasn't used to this kind of thing. She fell onto my shoulder, and I hastily caught her hand before she fell any more.

And then… Aigis.

Her dainty white form rushed to the monster, peppering more bullets at it. It would only be a matter of time until she would realise what she would have to do. And… I would be ready this time.

"Are you alright?" I asked quietly, looking for any signs of pain on my imoto's expression. Thankfully, there weren't any… for now anyways. It's possible that she will get hurt, especially in a situation like this. In a situation where all around the two of us was only death and destruction, it was all too likely.

"Yeah… I'm okay…" She replied with a small smile, even though the world around us was being torn down by the ravaging of Death and the creation of the Dark Hour. It only reminded me of how strong she was, even in the direst of circumstances.

I nodded with a slight smile, ruffling her hair before pulling her along the asphalt path once more. "That's good." I said back, trying to keep what was happening off her mind as much as possible.

A large explosion stopped us in our tracks as I tripped over in surprise. Damn… I didn't see that one coming. Scrambling up to my feet, and helping Minako up we tried to start running again. It wasn't something that was going to last though.

Death zoomed past me, and stopped moving a few metres away from where I was standing right now. Looks like I'm up for sealing huh? Pushing Minako back so that she wouldn't be a target for the sealing while she begged for me to get out of the way, I watched Death as I tried to back up even though Minako was pretty much rooted to the spot with fear.

Aigis looked between the two of us, and…

Minako's eyes widened as I covered her from the blast of energy that Aigis sent at me, tethering me to Death. It was the same reaction that I remembered.

I didn't give an inch even as I stared into the hollow and lifeless eyes of Death as it tried to pull away from me. **_"Come closer…"_** Nyx whispered, and almost immediately Death perked to attention and floated over to me closer, and closer like Nyx had commanded.

Keeping up my act, I backed away slowly before Death was standing right before me and Minako was too stunned to move. **"Who would've known that you have her helping you? Fine then. I'll come quietly, time traveller."** With those final words, Death's form disappeared in a black mist.

Minako didn't seem to be able to hear what Death just said to me, probably because it was only in my mind. Good, because if she did hear she would be asking questions about it for the rest of the night. "Minato-nii… Are you alright?" She asked as she hugged me tight from behind.

"Yeah… I'm fine…" I replied quietly before feeling the strain of Death being sealed within me, and collapsing to my knees. "Oh… okay maybe I do need a bit of a rest." I mused out loud, making Minako giggle a little bit even though I could definitely feel the warm, familiar feeling of teardrops.

"Ani… you should rest!" She smiled as she reluctantly pulled away from me, as if she was scared that I would be in danger again. Always a staunch worrier, aren't you Minako?

"I'll be fine. You do realise that it's way past our normal bedtimes now?" I joked as I tried to keep the situation as light as possible before the Kirijo group inevitably came along and gave out some amount of help to the people around the bridge. I wonder what happened to Aigis after all this. I never really got to find out… Except for the fact that she was sent to Yakushima… But that isn't enough to go on at all.

"True… I didn't really think of that! We should get some sleep soon!" She cheered before looking around. "But there isn't really anywhere to sleep… and I don't think anyone's coming…" She said sadly.

"Then… I guess you'll just have to use me as a pillow." I thought aloud. Minako's eyes widened at the idea before she settled back down. I guess you wouldn't be used to this. I wasn't this open before… But it's something I've missed since you were so different later, Minako.

"Are you sure?" She asked with an unsure tone.

I smiled, bringing her head towards my shoulder after sitting down normally. "Yeah. It's fine." I replied, trying to resist recoiling from this almost unfamiliar feeling. It was something I hadn't felt for about a year. It was… I shook my head out of my thoughts, knowing that if I started crying now my shoulders would shudder and it would disturb Minako.

I almost can't believe that fact that I made it here this time. And I'm going back this far in order for me to fix as much as I can. And there are a lot of things that I'm going to fix. I've made far too many irrevocable mistakes. I hate that fact.

Now to deal with the other fact. I am now an eight year old with the mentality of an eighteen year old. This is going to be fun. I have to wonder about some other things as well that are related but… You know I don't think it would be the best time to think about something like that of all things…

Must. Resist. Patting her. On the head.

I almost had to force my hand back from doing so before succumbing to it and finally petting her gently on the head. Um… is she… purring? Okay, even the Minako I knew before didn't do that. Why? Strange…

But this is probably the most peaceful I've seen her in a long time. Maybe it's because I didn't do this before… I hadn't learned about this kind of thing until later. And that 'until later' meant that I would be doing this kind of more touchy-feely stuff when she was a teen. Probably not the best thing to do in public. But right here, in this moment…

I don't care about anything else.

_Late Night_

It was a while before help arrived, but when it did I did my best to carry Minako. With a little help from my new Personae, I was able to carry my imoto without too much trouble. Thankfully she didn't wake up either.

Right now, we were sitting at the police station like I remembered last time. Unlike what I could remember, I fell asleep as well and leaned my head back on the wall. I guess with how late I could remember staying up because of what I was doing during the night in the other timeline… I was a whole lot sleepier than usual. Not to mention I wouldn't be used to this kind of thing in the past. Not until about three years later. And that's something I'm going to avoid.

Faint sounds and familiar voices filtered through my ears, until I could feel a warm grip on my shoulder. My eyes fluttered open, and my heart almost leapt as I saw her. Okaa-san…

"So, what's your name kid?" She asked with that almost irritated tone of voice.

"I'm Minato Arisato. This is Minako…" I replied sleepily with a small smile as I pointed towards my sleeping imoto.

"Well, I'm Haruno Terasu," She introduced herself… I think it was the same way that she introduced herself last time too. "So, you kids don't really have any living relatives." I nodded slightly, but I was more focused on her expression and trying not to wake up Minako. While her tone suggested some huff, her expression was… It seemed sad. I wonder why? Maybe while she genuinely wants to help us… maybe she has been hiding a few things. Well, they're things that I can ask about later.

"Well then, how about you live with me instead?" She asked with a smile.

I looked towards my imoto and back to… the yet to be named okaa-san with a small smile, signalling a 'yes.' "Thank you." I grinned, surprising Terasu.

"U-uh… it's fine." She quickly turned heel while I hoisted Minako onto my back and followed her out. After saying my goodbyes to the police officers, to which they were really surprised, that is. They work hard, don't they? I still have my respect for them, since they had to try and chase me all over the island when I was older. Surely, that gave them a lot of trouble. That's especially difficult when you have a teen which can teleport on your hands.

Well, when we got over to the antique shop… once we reached the beds I was on them like a bee to a flower. As in, I pretty much crashed into it after tucking Minako in.

Once I went to sleep, I could tell I was being pulled into my mindscape again. Nyx, prompt as always.

Funnily enough, my form in my mindscape was me when I was seventeen. Or eighteen depending on the way you look at it.

"So, how'd it go?" I asked as I sat down next to her. Oh damn. I don't have my ribbon. So… huh.

**_"Well, I am a little tired from that but I should recover sometime later."_** Nyx replied with a smile.

"That's good…" I smiled, thinking about what I should do now that I'm here.

**_"What are you actually planning to change anyways?"_** Nyx asked with a bit of scepticism in her voice, holding me close.

"I'm going to be changing a lot… But honestly, I don't know why you're going along with my plan. You know that most of the rules of the contract you gave me were kinda… they're kinda thrown out of the window." I chuckled.

**_"To tell you the truth, it was mostly a lie."_** I blinked once or twice before I processed what she just said. She lied? But, didn't she say that gods and goddesses can't lie?

"How?" I asked as I stroked a few of her raven locks.

**_"I was thinking that maybe… your more human qualities are beginning to rub off on me."_** She speculated. Maybe, that is true. It seems most likely to me. It could happen, in a crazy and twisted world like mine.

**_"All this contract is… all you have to do is make sure you kill me in the end like you're supposed to."_** She stated sadly, doing the same with my hair.

"So in the end, you didn't really lie… but you kinda did." I tried to make out what she said. She nodded, so I guess I'll go along with that.

"Nice." I smiled.

She rolled her eyes before I could feel her lips brushing against my ear and my collarbone, and really… Huh. "Whatcha doing tiger?" I asked with a small smile.

**_"What do you think I'm doing?" _**She asked with a sultry tone.

"Oh, is that what you're doing?" I grinned, pinning her down on the bench. "Ask first then."

_Morning_

I don't care whether or not that was just in my mindscape. That was fucking awesome. Rubbing the sleep… out of my eyes I looked up to see that Minako was still asleep. Wait, how the hell did I get any sleep last night while I was…? You know what, I'm just not going to question it and move on.

Flattening my hair back into place, after finally discerning the situation I awoke to the sight of my soon to be okaa-san walking into the room. "Oh… hi…" I said sleepily, going over to shake Minako out of her peaceful slumber. Just like a bear.

"Come on Minako…" I said half-heartedly before she started to stir.

She yawned a little before she noticed we were in a completely different place than we were last night. "Onii-san!" Minako looked around before engulfing me in a hug.

"Hey… come on, there's someone you should meet." I turned around, her arms still clinging on to my form even as I did that.

"Minato-nii, who's that?" She asked with a cute questioning expression.

"This is Terasu-san." I said simply as I gazed up at okaa-san's small smile. Minako nodded slightly as she let go of me and took the information in.

"Thank you Terasu-san!" She grinned up at her, and while she didn't shake her hand like last time it was enough for the both of us. Besides, she was too cute for us to notice. Well, in my opinion anyways.

"It's okay. I've been looking forward to having you kids around." Terasu replied with a smile that looked like it only came about because of Minako's contagious grin. Her cheerfulness was some that could rub off on anyone. Just as well as her other emotions too. She's never afraid to let people know how she feels, and people smile or cry along with her.

"Okaa-san, what do you do?" Minako asked. I wonder how she warmed up so fast…

"U-uh…" She stammered, trying to regain her composure. I was surprised too, so don't feel bad. "J-just follow me…" Did I see a flash of a smile there, okaa-san?

We walked through the corridor that led to the counter of the shop that I knew so well. The air… it was about the same as well… The smell of burning iron in the background, and the faintness of butterflies around the air… It was an atmosphere that drew me into a state of complete nostalgia.

"Anyways, I run an antiques and gift shop. I trade gems for certain bits of merchandise." She explained. It was the same explanation was before. I already knew all about this, so I kinda tuned out a little bit while she was telling us about the store.

"So, any questions?" She asked.

"Um… what are those cards?" I indicated to the tarot cards on the desk.

"They're things that I'll explain later," okaa-san replied as she brought her head down to whisper in my ear and add in a small detail. "When Minako's asleep."

I nodded sleepily at that. I knew what she was going to talk to me about.

_Late Night_

"Now Minato, you still remember that night?" Okaa-san asked.

I nodded slightly, already knowing what she was going to ask about. Also…

I summoned a card in my hand, the one for Orpheus Crescendo. I crushed the card in my hand, releasing a near unprecedented amount of power for this time. "I know already…" I whispered quietly. Debating whether to tell her the truth about my power, I finally decided not to. It would probably panic her a lot more than I already have.

"This is one of my Personae." I said simply as Orpheus disappeared in that navy blue mist.

Okaa-san was… she was dumbfounded, that was for sure. "U-uh… how can you summon a Persona already?" She asked with some amount of trembling in her voice.

"I dunno…" I shrugged. "But weren't you also going to talk to me about something else, okaa-san?" I smiled softly.

Tears were starting to glaze her eyes, and I could only guess why. "Sorry, it's just… I haven't been called that before today so I'm a little… overwhelmed." I nodded in understanding before hugging around her.

"That's okay." I replied.

"T-thank you… Minato…" She bent down and hugged me back.

"Maybe… maybe you can tell the both of us tomorrow, okaa-san?" I asked, knowing it really wasn't a question anymore. She probably wouldn't be able to tell me right now. Not with how much she was crying right now. No… I didn't mind. I haven't had this happen before… normally it was the other way around but now, it was okaa-san that was crying on my shoulder.

"Yeah… that's probably for the best." She replied shakily, wiping some of the left-over tears from under her glasses.

"I'll see you tomorrow okaa-san." I smiled as she let go.

"G-good night Minato-chan…" Terasu-san returned the sentiment with a smile and a quaky voice. And… did she just call me 'chan?' Hm… That's something I'm going to have to get used to I think. She only called Minako that before, I could understand why. But me? Cute?

I crawled back to bed, still feeling fairly sleepy and… "So, you wanna go again?"

**_"Why not?"_**

_Morning_

Anyways, today was the day okaa-san was supposed to explain everything about Persona to us. Well, I already knew all about Persona so just to Minako. Once my senses were in full swing they… oh man… omurice… It's pretty much been the longest time since I've had okaa-san's version of it. She always makes the best and it was the only thing that topped Minako's favourite, French toast.

I got up groggily, flattening out my hair again and dragging Minako out of bed by the collar. "Come on sleepy-head…" I smiled as she tried to wake up, her eyelids starting to rise before they drooped down again.

I sighed before just resorting to dragging her out even though she was still half-asleep. "Wake up or no omurice for you." I mumbled off-hand. It was that comment that got her up and running to the kitchen, frantically I might add.

"Good morning okaa-san…" I said to Terasu as I passed by her and sat down at the table.

"Good morning Minato-chan, Minako-chan." She replied, moving towards the table with omurice in hand.

Once it was set down, I had to resist devouring the whole thing right there. I knew how good this stuff was and it was difficult to resist chomping it down right now. "Itadakimasu!" Minako and I shouted before digging in hungrily. Goddamn, I feel like a real kid again…

Within nary five minutes, both of the omelettes were gone without a trace. "Gochisousama!" We chorused.

Meanwhile, okaa-san was looking at us with a look that pretty much said 'you were both so cute when you did that.' I never know what to think of that look. On one hand, when someone like okaa-san does that it makes me feel embarrassed. On the other… well let's just say when a fan girl gives me that look I start running. Fast.

"Wow, your cooking is great okaa-san!" I think I figured out why Minako warmed up to Terasu so quickly. It's because I knew I could trust her. Before I was still apprehensive and for good reason. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but now I did and that already resulted in some tighter bonds forming between all of us. Or… another result of the butterfly effect. Even the tiniest flap and movement of the wings of such a tiny thing can change everything around it.

When okaa-san came and hugged us close I couldn't believe how happy I was feeling… I almost felt like I could cry from the sheer happiness in my heart. This one thought was screaming out in my head: She's still alive! It was almost like an ongoing chant that I had no problem going along with. I felt like I wanted to cry and just let it all out but then… what then? They would ask why and I couldn't possibly tell them that. I never imagined how much pain I would be going through even though I was going back in time… It was heart wrenching to say the least, and I was almost having second thoughts already. But no, I had to push on. I've already changed a few things in this world and I'm not going to stop now.

The pulse of energy that signalled the activation of a new Persona user's potential rolled off in waves from Minako. It was Eurydice. Hmph. How fitting. It's almost as if they were giving their Orpheus a second chance to save the one he loved… Not in romantic love but as a part of a family, as a friend. Or… something like that. After all, it wasn't as if Minako was my lover or something. That would be just damned awkward.

Talk about going off on a tangent when all I wanted to do now was stay together… With my family. I knew. I knew things would turn out for the better this time. I knew… Someday all this would be fixed and I could even go back to my otouto's world to try and fix things up there. Of course, I'm not going through another ten years though. That's just crazy. Even I'm not patient enough for that. And Richard's problems were far beyond my reach, as far as I could tell.

Maybe it was just me being selfish once again, but I could also spend time with Nyx. As much as I care for Mitsuru… I think that my night queen calls for me more. After all, it's not as if Mitsuru can't find herself another good boyfriend or something when she's got Akihiko around.

Ngh, me. Spouting words in this moment again.

"So we all have the potential now…" I said quietly as okaa-san let go of us.

"What's po-ten-shi-al?" Minako asked, trying to sound the word out. Oh, funny Minako. I know now that she is really smart, especially in her later years. But I think this time it was just to sound cuter. Well, it definitely worked!

"Potential lets you awaken to something called a Persona, which is something you can use to protect yourself from danger." Okaa-san explained. True… it is a mask we wear in everyday life to help us deal with difficult situations. It isn't only used to protect yourself and the ones around you.

"Like onii-san?" Minako asked, ever so innocent. But why did those words hit me so hard? Is it just because I don't think the same way that she does? I disagree so much with that statement already… But… then again it might not be too far-fetched. I have to wonder what would happen if Minako was the one who was tethered to Death… No! Don't wonder about that! That's a fucking horrible idea!

"Um… I guess? They're a lot stronger and cooler than me though." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"No-one's cooler than okaa-san and onii-san!" She protested, a satisfied grin forming on her face.

I almost had the urge to say what I always said to something like that. If you say so. But… would that be right? I felt like I shouldn't say it, but it was almost like a reflex reaction to when she always said something like that. As long as it included me anyways.

No… I'm… Face it or not, I was here because I was too fucking selfish to let any of this go. Are these thoughts just going to torment me for about eleven years? That's fucking crazy! Even I… even I couldn't stand for that long. This time I wouldn't have anyone in the real world to talk to about these kinds of things. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to trouble Nyx with that of all things either…

In the end I said nothing, not because I was laughing to her statement like I was last time but because I didn't have a reaction for her that I could live with. In the end, all that came out was a small sigh.

Caught up in the moment, no-one noticed it underneath the layers of cheerfulness. Like the cream in a cheesecake covering the blander bottom. That was not a good comparison. Dammit, now I want cake. I should not have thought that. I should not… have thought that.

Oh, cake. Messing with my mind.

I've been missing a lot lately? A surge of power in the area got me staring up at Eurydice's form above Minako. Yup. Now I know I've been missing a lot of conversation.

It was as beautiful as ever though…

**Thou art I, and I am thou…**

**From the sea of thy soul I awaken…**

**With our harmony, help the ones you love…**

**I am Eurydice, mistress of strings.**

Help the ones you love huh? When I awakened to Orpheus he said something like 'protect the ones you love' instead. Great job I'm doing.

"Wow, Eurydice was pretty…" Minako said with wonder as she looked up, awe-struck at her Persona. "Come on onii-san, can you show me yours?"

Wait, she can't see mine? My SP suppression. That's why. Huh.

I had summoned Orpheus Crescendo, and his SP was flowing through the air… almost as if it was twice as heavy. Or maybe even more than that. It was hard to compare something like this to my Orpheus eleven years ago. Just normal Orpheus anyways.

I almost can't tell the different between the power levels that I had when I was little. They're just so vastly different, and there was so much time in-between used for training that I'd be damned if I actually did know that.

"Whoa… it's so strong…" Minako stared up at the black armoured musician in wonder. Again, it disappeared in that navy blue mist. But I have to wonder why no-one's questioning the different colour… Wait.

I looked up at the mist and… oh. It was light blue like always. I love my illusions right now.

"How did you hide your Persona? I can see okaa-san's but I couldn't see yours." My imoto asked curiously. That is… a good question that I'm not really sure how to answer right now since giving this away would probably be very bad for me.

You know what? Best answer ever to a question like this that I'm not sure how to answer. I shrugged. "I don't know."

"But maybe you can help me figure it out?" I added, trying to divert the conversation a little. Or a lot. Whatever.

"Okay then, onii-san!" Minako cheered with a determined expression.

Welp, that's one crisis averted. Even though… it does make me feel sad that I'm lying to Minako of all people. Not to mention okaa-san. It really… It's one scathing action.

Of course, after this we were going to be learning about Skill Cards and forging and shit. Even though I know all about that already. Oh man… As much as I love my family, I really don't want to sit through another explanation again. It's not like the weapon that's going to come out is going to be powerful.

_Dark Hour_

Okay, so I had cast an illusion over my Mukou Meikai blades since I didn't want to deal with multiple hits right now. One good hit was all a Shadow needed.

But right now, the highlight of the hour was… Mitsuru.

When I stepped out from the teleporter, I was greeted by the sight of the younger Mitsuru. It barely remembered what she looked like now, but… I knew now and damn she was cute when she was younger. Shaking my head out of my errant thoughts I walked out of the shadows and like before…

"Who's there?" She demanded as a chill fell in the air. Nothing like a normal Bufu is going to be able to take me down. Maybe a Niflheim.

I stared at her blankly before shrugging. I love ticking her off sometimes. "Answer. Now." She growled. I didn't think that something like that could come from the mouth of the ever fair lady Mitsuru, I chuckled to myself.

"I'm Minato." I replied simply.

Oh yeah, I just remembered. I'm still the Master of Tartarus. Interesting… I tapped my feet discreetly and the music changed to something a lot more calming. Even though this game hasn't been released yet, I guess I can still play that song. It sounds like a late night drink at a bar, thinking about life. Makes me think about that man… Vincent.

"Full name," She replied exasperatedly. "And what is this music?"

"Arisato Minato," I answered. "I dunno. But I like it."

Well duh. I'm the one who picked it out.

"What are you doing here?" She asked cautiously as I felt the SP around the area fading. Oh yeah, I wonder how Takeharu dealt with that? It was slightly cold but… you know.

Hm… but how do I answer that question? It's a difficult one. Do I just tell her straight up?

"Training with Personae." I answered after some deliberation. Not suspicious at all. I can't even tell whether I'm being sarcastic with that question or not.

"Really?" She sounded almost excited…

Wait. What are you planning?

She drew her rapier. Why aren't you stopping her Takeharu?

I rolled my eyes before drawing Mukou Meikai, and stopping her attack in her tracks with little difficulty.

Her eyes widened before she pulled back and tried to slash at me again. Wow. I have to say that she's definitely improved a lot over the years… I didn't think this could be so easy.

"Um… I kinda need to get home. The hour might be ending soon." I mumbled as her rapier clashed against mine again.

"How… Why are you so strong?" She asked as she shakily backed away.

Goddammit there are so many questions that I just want to answer straight up, but who knows how much I could screw everything up by answering badly.

"I'm Kirijo Mitsuru." She didn't even give me a chance to reply. Funny girl.

I nodded slightly back. "Cool. I'm probably gonna come back here another night though, so see ya later. You too Kirijo-san." I waved to Takeharu, who was definitely surprised by the familiarity I was displaying. Oh yeah, there's someone else I have to deal with still too.

I'm so going to enjoy ripping his head off too. He's the only person I've never felt sorry for killing. Ekoda would be next on my list but that would disrupt school business. Unfortunately, and as much as I would like to wring his neck like the rest of the students at Gekkoukan. Welp, I'm getting ahead of myself. I still have… the rest of elementary and middle school to go before I get to high school. Even then, I've gotta sit through another three years before I get to the end of this loop.

Oh I've got a long eleven years ahead of me don't I?

_Late Night_

"Nyx… are you really okay with waiting for that long?" I asked, looking at her blue eyes.

**_"Sometimes I wonder why I fell for you again when you ask things like that." _**She sighed. I'll take that as a no… I chuckled to myself. Her snarky comments always keep me on my toes.

"Okay, okay then." I smiled.

**_"The one I'm worried about is you, you know?" _**She looked away.

I can only imagine that it's because of what I'm feeling and how close I'm getting to my breaking point. It is heart wrenching, and it's difficult. But this was my choice. I can't possibly break a promise like hers. I won't break my promise when someone's already done the same to me. It's too cruel, even for me.

"I know…" I whispered.

**_"Honestly, you care way too much about your friends and family than you do yourself. If it were me I probably would have given up by now." _**Nyx elaborated. I know. It's one of the things about me that make me wonder about whether it's a good quality or… a curse of some kind. But… It makes me happy to see the people around me happy. In and out of itself, I'm being extremely selfish here.

"I know… but one thing I can say that is definitely not selfless is the fact that I get to spend more time with you, even though my time with all in all… It's so limited." I replied, brushing my hand against her cheek.

**_"Minato…" _**She shook her head, almost in denial before pressing my hand onto her cheek more. I could definitely feel her cheeks warm up steadily as she kept her hand on mine.

**_"Thank you… for everything…"_**

* * *

AN: *Rages with fury* I took way too long with this one again! I'm sorry, it's the holidays and I don't understand why I'm NOT GOING ANY FASTER! *growls*

Anyways, yes. Minato did just time travel. Stubborn little bastard, but yeah. I'll mainly be focusing on the bits that he's changing and some fluffy stuff on the side before I finally get to the ending. Cool? Cool. Now tell me what you think! I personally think it feels a whole lot less epic than the last chapter. No fights or anything… too dramatically major. IMO anyways. Right, catch you guys later!

Plz review and no flames!


	30. Chaos Of Memory

"Nii-san, who is that?" Minako asked with a curious smile as she… she closely examined Mitsuru. Minako, what am I going to do with you? I rubbed the back of my head, deciding how to word what I knew about Mitsuru properly.

"Minako, this is Mitsuru," I explained to her. "Mitsuru, this is my imoto Minako." I smiled softly as I was trying to melt the icy barriers than I knew could be forming around her heart. Well… hopefully Minako will be able to get through to her.

"U-um… Nice to meet you Minako-san." Mitsuru replied stiffly while my imoto grinned with a mischievous glint.

"Nice to meet you Mitsuru-san!" She smiled widely.

"Well now that we're done introducing ourselves…" I sighed in relief as I drew Mukou Meikai again. "Anyone up for going into Tartarus?"

"I am nii-san!" Minako cheered energetically. Yeah, it would be easy for me to keep everyone safe since I was still apparently the Master of Tartarus. Or the Reaper. Whatever.

"I'm ready." Mitsuru stated, still keeping a firm grasp on the newer rapier I gave her. I'll give her Alilat later when she's gotten used to the one that I gave her. Incidentally… It was made with a copy of her Penthesilea Persona. I'm so glad that I took the time to learn how to make make-shift Skill Cards for this kind of thing. With a bit of help from Nyx as well.

She helped draw from some of the essence of Mitsuru's Shadow, or her Persona and then helped me make it into a Skill Card that I could use in Weapon Fusion. Best idea ever. Hi-five Nyx. A faint clap-like sound told me that she had indeed heard what I said and reciprocated my request. _Thank you._

**_"No problem."_** Nyx replied nonchalantly.

"Well, let's go then." I smiled with a confident stance and gestured to move more towards the entrance of the labyrinth.

After a while, we three were able to reach the fifth floor. It was on this floor I could vaguely remember a guardian showing up. The faint disturbances of SP in the area seemed like… they were moving about in a constant rhythm. Wing beats.

"Kids, be careful. I sense three pretty powerful Shadows up ahead. Be on guard." Okaa-san warned us.

"Thanks okaa-san." I replied, keeping my grip on my swords tight.

**_"Venus Eagles. Don't use Fire or Wind. Weak to Pierce, Dark and Ice." _**I nodded to myself silently, also thanking Nyx for the quick analysis.

"Guys, let's spread out around the centre." I suggested. Classic tactic. Surround your enemy instead of letting yourselves get surrounded.

"Why the centre?" Mitsuru asked. Oh right, okaa-san hasn't mentioned that. To which I have a simple answer.

"Video game logic." I answered simply with a cheeky grin while Mitsuru just shook her head, muttering things about how boys were weird and how they relate everything to video games. Actually, that's not true but whatever. I relate a few things to video games, but not all the time.

"Ready?" With an enthusiastic nod which was courtesy of Minako and a not-so-enthused nod from Mitsuru we charged to the middle on our marks. "Go!"

When Minako crushed the card in her hand, she summoned Eurydice to use Bash on one of the three gold masked birds. While it was hurt, it still wasn't enough to take it down.

"Penthesilea!" Mitsuru still hadn't gotten a grasp on how to summon her Persona without her Evoker, so she still used it. That didn't make her any less deadly in this situation though. "Bufu!"

With that war cry the Amazonian queen threw several cold blizzards in the direction of the already damaged eagle Shadow, freezing it's wings solid and downing it on the ground.

"One more!" Minako and I shouted, Mitsuru keeping up her barrage of icy winds on another Shadow, knocking it in the direction of the already grounded eagle and damaging the both of them more.

"Just one more time!" I called, and shortly after that shout another chilly blast knocked the last Eagle into the pile of Shadows.

"The enemy's down. Let's finish this." She said coldly, a ferocious glint appearing in her eyes. Hm… I think she could freeze them all a second time if she wanted to, no problem.

"Alright then." But I have my own animal instincts too…

As soon as the dust flew up from our All-Out Attack the Venus Eagles were thrown around helplessly in the plume. While Mitsuru and Minako managed to get some decent hits in on the Shadows I finished them off all too quickly with a Vorpal Blade attack that splashed the troublesome black ink onto my shirt.

When the dust cleared, I picked up the remaining golden masks off the floor. They were all that were left of the Shadows when they dissipated. Though I wasn't really too focused on what I was going to do with the masks. I was more focused on trying to ignore the stares that Minako and Mitsuru were probably giving me.

"So… should we keep going?" I asked, trying to keep any worry that may have been in my voice out. I just cannot hold back in battles for the life of me can I? It was an inward sigh for me before they nodded dumbly to signal to keep going.

**_"You have to be a bit more careful, okay?" _** Nyx advised in my mind.

_ I know. But it's not easy. My instincts are things that just cannot be held back. _I chuckled inwardly.

**_"Just do your best love." _**She replied with a bit of a worried tone.

_You already know I'm a smooth talker. I'll think of something if they ask. _I grinned to myself. I'm going to be hiding my powers for a lot longer than the last time. I wonder if I can really hide it from everyone for that long… It's a challenge then.

I heard a little bit of a chuckle from Nyx before she stayed silent until the next analysis. Another challenge. Try to remember all the weaknesses and resistances of all the Shadows that I fight. After some deliberation I decided it would be too much work. I can't even imagine how many kinds of Shadows there are… It was too hard to fathom, even for me.

"Hey, I haven't seen you around before." I said cheerfully, carefully eyeing the expression of my very familiar, black haired friend.

"Oh yeah! I just moved here so yeah." He replied cheerfully, rubbing the back of his head.

"Cool! My name's Arisato Minato!" I grinned, holding out my hand for a shake.

He took it almost immediately, with an equally large grin on his face. "I'm Richard Amadeus Rightmire. But that's long so you can just call me Richard."

"Nice. Say Richard… wanna play a game?" I suggested, even though this really wasn't the place to be playing a game. Not in the Dark Hour.

"What kinda game?" He asked curiously.

"Let's play tag! With a few different rules." I smirked, daring him.

"What kind of different rules?" He smiled with an equal amount of confidence radiating from him.

"First… you can do and use whatever you want to get away from me. Second, you definitely cannot touch the funny black monsters that crawl around here. You wouldn't want to anyways. You'd probably end up a vegetable, and no-one wants a vegetable for a friend." I stated firmly, seeing the competitive glint in his eyes.

"Also, if you can't catch me before the green night ends… well. Actually just do whatever. It'll help you get stronger and stuff." I grinned, saying I was completely serious when I summoned my swords.

"Wow, you're really serious about this. I like it!" With that, a familiar black scythe appeared in his grip and a fearless expression with an aggressive snarl forming in the back of his throat. I'll make this fun for you, since I know what could happen.

"On your marks…" I started.

"Get set?" He continued.

"Go!" We shouted at the same time.

We jumped away from each other, finding some distance away from each other. It's time for the hiding game.

Within seconds we had both faded into the alleyways of Paulownia Mall, melting into the Shadows. What was even better was the fact that it was just a game for fun. I passed by some mysterious individuals when I zipped around, trying to find Richard. He's a pretty good hider.

"Hello, you guys look kinda down." I said playfully, a smile crawling onto my face as I recognised who the trio were. Takaya, Jin and Chidori.

"What do you want?" Jin snarled coldly.

Heh, you don't scare me. "I'm playing a game with one of my friends here. Do you wanna join?" I asked with a bit of a smirk.

"It's fine Jin. Who are you?" Takaya dodged my question with that familiar, cool expression. Man, he should wear a shirt more often… He looks so much cooler that way. Being half-naked is not a badass make.

"I'm Minato Arisato." I replied, still feeling pretty peppy right now. I'll never feel tired in the Dark Hour again. Not with my training. It's like being… a butterfly.

I felt something cold and sharp being held against my throat. Judging from the curve I'd say it's an axe. Still not scary, Chidori.

"Hey, hey. Put that down, it's not very nice." I appeared to be more focused on the axe rather than the axe at my throat. If that made any sense. Sometimes I question my sanity.

Chidori seemed to be quite surprised that I wasn't scared at all by her supposed strike. Yeah normally when you have an axe to your neck you're supposed to beg and scream for your life in terror but that's just not my style. Besides, it's not like it would be able to hurt me much anyways.

"Minato-nii, who's that?" Minako asked with some caution as she tugged my shirt. Well, I wouldn't be surprised. A scary girl who throws icicles at you? I would be scared too if it didn't already happen to me. But that was during practice so I'm not too surprised anymore.

"This is Mitsuru. She's a new friend I made here," I explained. "Mitsuru, this is my imoto, Minako."

Mitsuru nodded slightly seemingly still uncomfortable with me around. Well, I guess we only met a few days ago so I guess… To tell the truth I'm still not that cosy with her either. I guess that's why Minako's a lot more scared. Hm…

"Um… so do you wanna go in now?" I asked shyly.

"S-sure…" Mitsuru replied, probably not used to being called out of the blue.

Gripping Frostbite tightly, Minako, Mitsuru and I entered the maze inside Tartarus. It was still difficult to get past the Shadows on the floors but with Mitsuru it was a whole lot easier. I was surprised by how good she was with her rapier… She beat me quite easily in fact, especially when it came to just using my sword in general.

But, I still top her in using my Persona powers effectively. Always. It's probably because I can summon Orpheus any time already and using his spells and commands were also fairly easy. Knowing when to use them in battle and when not to, was the thing you had to watch out for. Not to mention hitting weaknesses, and remembering strengths and affinities and stuff. It was a lot of stuff to remember but it just kinda sunk in. Because of Pokemon. I knew it would help sometime.

"Kids, be one your guard. I sense three powerful Shadows on the floor you're on." Okaa-san's sensing powers were pretty strong. A lot more powerful than Mitsuru's. Mitsuru had tried before but okaa-san's reach with Hera just was a whole lot better. Besides, she was better at fighting.

"Hm… Let's be extra careful. We can surround the Shadows once we find out where they are." I suggested. No objections were raised so I figured it was safe to go on.

On my signal… three… two… one.

On that last count, we ran to confront the Shadows in the centre of the floor. For some reason the Shadows in front of us didn't engage us immediately upon seeing us. Most of the time it was just Shadow gets you, and you're trapped in a fight. It seems like they're waiting for us to make a first move.

"Okaa-san, can you scan them?" I asked, seemingly to no-one.

Okaa-san stayed on the bottom floor since she was supporting us instead of fighting. I would probably have a heart attack if she came with us though…

"Yes, I'll do just that." She replied with a determined tone.

"Coolness." I muttered under my breath.

"Mitsuru, can you try out Bufu? And Minako, try Slash and Strike. I'll go first." Everyone nodded with their orders and I first tried to summon Orpheus to try an Agi spell. The musician strummed a vicious tune on his lyre, and when the song finished bursts of fire appeared on one of the bird Shadows.

I bit my lip. "No fire… Minako, you're next!" Minako nodded slightly before moving in with Eurydice at her back and making a single arc with her naginata to test out Slash damage before following up with a Bash attack from her Persona's lyre.

It was only damaged lightly by the light Strike attack, but it was enough to say that it did cause quite a lot. Especially if these things were actually bosses or guardians. Something along those lines.

"Minato, their names are the Venus Eagles. Their weaknesses are Ice and Pierce." Okaa-san informed all of us. Oh nice… Mitsuru's going up next.

"Mitsuru, you're up!" I shouted with a little excitement. Come on… we just need a weakness…

The redhead nodded sternly before summoning her Persona… Penthesilea, and using a Bufu attack in the form of a cold blizzard to blow the Eagle we were targeting before to the ground. You know what that means.

"One more!" Minako yelled excitedly.

As if driven by Minako's contagious cheeriness, Mitsuru smiled a little and fired another chill at another of the birds, sending it crashing to the ground. "Just one more time!" I grinned, and to my surprise Mitsuru smile became a little wider from that. From Mitsuru? I wouldn't have imagined.

"Alright then." She said quietly before making that last Bufu spell and smashing the remaining bird into the ground.

"The enemy is down. We must strike." Mitsuru said sternly. It just so happened that I agreed right now. We needed more damage laid onto all of them. I nodded and it was only a matter of seconds before a cloud of dust was kicked up and we began to hack and slash with our weapons, also using our Personae.

I was sticking more with using Frostbite though, since Orpheus' main affinity was Fire. Though I was more surprised by how many times I was prone to fall over because of my lack of balance. It was really hard trying to stay up on my feet…

There, I did it. I fell over. But… roll over!

I slid into the form of another Shadow and slammed my sword into it to cause some major damage, finishing off that Shadow with an attack from one of my new Personae. Apsaras!

The blue skinned woman that I summoned danced around in a circle before encasing the Venus Eagle I was targeting in a block of ice. Normally this wouldn't have killed a Shadow already but… it was a weakness. So…

Once the Bufu spell broke apart, the Shadow sprayed Ichor everywhere. I even got a few droplets onto me. It didn't bother me that much but… well I'd rather not get the funny black monster's ink onto my clothes, you know?

"Hey, I haven't seen you around before." I said to this black-haired guy with green eyes.

"Neither have I. Am I supposed to know you?" He replied with a smirk. Is that a challenge?

"Well, whatever. I'm Arisato Minato." I replied with a cool expression. I was always more closed up around new people I guess. It was especially since his aura just seemed to give off a kind of terrifying confidence. It almost took me aback, but after seeing that competitive glint in his eyes I realised it wasn't because he was dark or anything Shadow-like. Hell I doubt that. But… something about him just screamed 'power'…

"I'm Richard Rightmire." The newly-known Richard introduced himself with an assured tone.

"Um… dude. Is there any reason why you're giving off that cold expression?" He grinned, pretty much breaking through my barriers in one shot. It was like his mettle would be able to carry him through anything. Even something like the barriers I had made up over the past few years.

Dude, going back to elementary school probably had to be one of the only things that I had looked over. It was boring as fuck. But at least I didn't have to do any work or anything really. One solace I suppose in the dregs of school. It was all so… easy. Way too easy. If I end up skipping grades… I would be cursing myself for the fact that I was way ahead in the curriculum then. I'd rather not have too much work. I'll definitely help Minako out if she needs it though.

But new kids! That's always fun.

"I'm Sanada Akihiko." My old silver-haired boxer friend introduced himself. And that perpetual bandage on his brow… It's still there. Huh.

"And I'm Aragaki Shinjiro…" Shinji! And… he looks so much different without that longer hair of his. And no beanie. He needs to wear the beanie!

Without the beanie… it's just not the same, I swear!

I wonder whether it'll be possible for Nyx to go other places in my mind. That would be interesting.

I was walking around Tartarus pretty much. I wasn't really sure what to do. I was pondering whether the Reaper should show up since… well… I wasn't sure how to summon Charon and everything. I was still the Reaper. Eh…

**_"Well… You have Charon as a Persona you know." _**Nyx tried to add her two cents into my thoughts. True… I'll try it.

"Charon." I crushed the card in front of me and… Hello awesome aristocrat with a trench coat for a suit instead of a normal tux.

**"I don't remember being one of your Personae, Minato." **Charon groaned.

**_"You weren't until a few years ago." _**Nyx replied with a bit of an irritated tone.

**"E-eh!? Um… okay. What's up?" **Charon shouted in disbelief before returning to his calmer tone.

"When I ask, can you fight us again sometime?" I asked, tapping my foot to change the music again. Though it was a bit out of impatience. Sometimes I question the gods that we worship.

**"Alright I guess?" **Charon replied.

"Nyx, can you tell me why we regard gods so highly again?" I asked exasperatedly.

**_"That's like asking why you like those stupid Youtube videos on that silly comedy and humour channel." _**Nyx deadpanned at me. Wow. She's getting good at that look.

"I resent that." I replied with a sigh.

"The Fall is inevitable. You know that." Ikutsuki said as I held my revolver up, clearly targeting his forehead.

"I know. I know that all too well. But I can stop it, very easily…" I smiled, the white fragments of the Avatar's mask forming just over my face. "After all… I wield her power. The power of the Fall bringer."

The glint of light that was covering Ikutsuki's gaze disappeared and I could clearly see the surprise shivering in his eyes. And… the fear and defeat.

"Time to say goodbye, Ikustuki." I whispered with my voice deadly low.

A slit in Ikutsuki's throat spurted out sprays of crimson fireworks. Not a speck of his blood landed on me as the droplets was only beginning to stain the stagnant air of the Dark Hour, with only more of that iron-like smell permeating the atmosphere.

I never realised that middle school was… it was like a mini version of high school. It's just because I pretty much skipped that part of school, so I really didn't know what it was like. Figures. It might as well be high school. Why not just combine it into one? It's so much easier and they do it in other places so why not here in Japan?

Classes were boring as usual.

But it felt like the moments I was spending with my friends were so much more… precious. I don't know why. I don't…

It was just so different from being alone for so long like I was before. I wasn't this time. I was with everyone. I was around to help Shinji and Aki with whatever though we were never able to prevent Miki's death. I can't go back far enough to do something about it, and it's not like I would actually be able to do anything since I would only be… what. Four years old? That's even worse than having an eighteen year old mind in a twelve year old…

"Remember that the assignment is due next week."

Oh god. Assignments. I would collapse just to try and get away from those for a while. That would be great… No assignments… No homework… Nothing… A sharp pain on my cheek sent me up and awake as I knew there was only one person who would slap me like that.

I sent a withering glare at Mitsuru who merely deflected it with one of her sickeningly sweet smiles. It was a smile that promised an execution if I did anything to retaliate. Damn, she wins… Every time.

Lunch time was the best period ever. Always. Except when I realised that my fan club of avid girls could easily try to catch me. Oh that would be horrible. Was it my initially 'cool and mysterious' personality? No doubt it's because I look like a bishounen. Damned fantasising… Well at least Akihiko would have the 'spotlight' taken off him for the rest of his school life. Good for him.

School… hate… hate… school…

A light tap and sudden warmth on my shoulder was able to wake me up. I just wasn't expecting sensei to be right in front of my face when I looked. I chuckled nervously before she asked me a question on the spot.

"Can you answer? Twenty-seven plus thirty-five." She asked.

"Sixty-two?" I answered quickly, not really paying attention to what I was saying.

Silence permeated the room. Why is everyone staring at me? Seriously. It's scaring me.

"Correct, Arisato-kun." I blinked once or twice. I got it right while I was half asleep? Uh… okay then.

Murmurs were going around the room, mostly from the girls. But I don't think they were really focusing on my quickness and smarts right now. I think I heard something about being cute while I was… asleep…

I want out of this classroom right now.

_Nyx…_ I whined as she continued to giggle at my expense.

**_"Oh you charmer." _**She joked, still laughing along.

_Please. Stop. Please? _I was almost pleading by this point for her stop her damned laughing. I'm serious, it's kinda hurting my pride right now.

**_"Fine."_** She sighed. **_"But… we are doing that later?"_**

_You know I can never refuse something like that. _I chuckled to myself, my mind really not on what the teacher was saying.

**_"True. I have got you pretty much wrapped around my finger you know that?" _**She commented playfully.

_So have I though. _I replied simply, covering up my cheeks with my hands. Or I could fall asleep again. That works too.

**_"Oh, since you're sleeping what about now?" _**Nyx asked coyly.

_Oh hell no, crazy woman! _I shouted.

"Ray, just be careful okay." I called sternly to which she only giggled a little.

Before all that she was one carefree girl. It's… kinda refreshing. It'll always amaze me how different people can become when they grow up whether it be though some really unfortunate circumstances or something spectacularly good.

But I was able to keep her here for a bit longer. She wouldn't be able to get involved in the lockdown and whatever happened there. I still don't know all of the details, even though I got the gist easily.

"Richard, let me handle this!" I growled as I unleashed a wave of Vorpal Sword attacks on the thugs around here. I knew how they fought. It was easy to see through their simple attacks. They were dishevelled… and easy to crush.

Blood may have splattered everywhere but everyone was still alive. Oh Thanatos…

"Why'd you do that?" Richard shot a cold glare at me, demanding an answer.

"Because… Just because…" I muttered under my breath.

"I could have taken them, you know that!" He shouted.

I know. How I know… "I do. But it depended. Were you going to burn your whole world down or freeze it solid?"

"Come on! I can hear it coming this way!" I yelled to the rest of the team. Now with Shinjiro and Akihiko in the mix, we were a real team now.

"Alright then." Akihiko replied with a bit of a grin.

The night life of the Dark Hour was something of a solace for me. I could train a little with Richard, because apparently our playing had just turned into keep-away training instead.

Richard and I had just finished some of that training, and we were just sitting on top of the coffins that the people were sleeping in. It was… it was peaceful. It was better than going out and killing every night anyways. And it was even really fun. I looked up into the sky.

The moon… My hands moved as if I were holding someone close to me. It was like I was hugging someone. It felt warm when my hands started to clutch my arms. But I knew that there was no-one there. I felt like… I just wanted her in my arms. Forever…

It was painful knowing that I just couldn't really be with her.

"Do you miss someone?" Richard's voice called to me from atop another coffin.

"How can you tell?" I asked with a curious, but small smile.

"You're holding your arms like I do sometimes," He replied with an inkling of a wistful tone in his voice. "It's that feeling when you want someone close to you but you can't have them in your grip like you want."

It's perfect. It really just was.

With those lines I could get Mitsuru to notice me more for sure. Richard's ideas were just the best sometimes. I wonder how he came up with them before…

I should ask sometime if I don't forget.

"We can save her for sure. I know it." I spoke with a determined tone. If I wasn't confident my team wouldn't be either. I knew that we could do it. Our teamwork was just top notch since Shinjiro and Akihiko had been with our original group for a while.

I could feel the Shadow approaching the house. With the control that I had beat into Shinjiro's Persona there was no chance of anything happening like in the other timeline. Thankfully. Not only that, but Minato and I were here too. I'd say our odds are very much in our favour.

"Let's catch that Shadow!" I charged ahead with Minako just being able to trail along behind me.

She too had grown stronger since she had been following my lead on training for a very long time now. Granted without the Universe Arcana she still wouldn't be stronger than me… Unless she has it then I doubt anything will ever tip the scales in her favour. Like Lycanos said, I wasn't trying to be cocky either. This was just the Universe we were talking about and it was pretty much the ultimate power.

Enough about that.

"Akihiko, go for a Thunder Reign!" I commanded.

"You got it!" He replied.

Charging ahead, he summoned Polydeuces and…

A bolt of lightning was shot at the Shadow which was just up ahead and hit its mark. Good.

"Minako, use Niflheim to trap it!" I shouted next. Minako nodded a little and summoned Eurydice. A wave-like wall of ice towered over the Shadow, leaving no way for it to escape from us. It wouldn't be able to get to Ken like in the other reality.

"I know that feeling. It's sad and just… painful." Before long, Richard was doing the same as I was. Wishing he could hold his family again? Probably. I was wishing I could hold Nyx in my arms for real. Besides… it was only in my mind.

Time to run!

Run from what?

Run from them!

"Nii-chan… over here…" Minako's voice beckoned me over to where she was.

"Oh thank Thanatos. Those damned fan girls won't stop chasing me…" I whispered to her.

"Yeah, I know. Maybe if you stay here for a bit they'll stop chasing you." She replied with a knowing smile.

"I love you." Her cheeks were still flushed and I could understand why. But… I can't do this. I already have someone I love, even if our love is something that will have an abrupt and terrifying end.

"I…" I looked down towards the ground. "I'm sorry Mitsuru…"

"Minato?" She asked nervously.

"I already love someone else." I could feel my heart and soul crushed under the pressure. It was the one thing that I wasn't looking forward to when I was fixing things. I couldn't possibly know what was brewing in Mitsuru's heart right now. I could only think of sadness and anger. Maybe jealousy for the one I loved right now.

"I… I see." She stuttered out.

That broken voice would have been enough to break my heart to pieces. It should have been. I couldn't even begin to imagine how many pieces her heart was shattered into and how much time it would take for it to be mended.

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. Lover or not she would still be my friend. I'm sorry… If I didn't love her right now, I would have definitely said yes. I know. That's what I did the last time.

"I'll wait…" My eyes fluttered open when Mitsuru said that. Why?

"However long it takes…" I sighed inwardly. I honestly don't know whether I will every love someone again like I did Nyx. I don't know. But maybe… if you really want to wait… If you want…

"Come on Minato, wake up." A soft voice?

I tried to open my eyes, finding myself staring up at a white ceiling. Yeah. I'm back here again. It's been a while since I've gotten up to this point now. It has been a long while but I'm finally here at the year of the Shadow invasion.

"You must be really tired if you couldn't reply three times before this." Okaa-san smiled before going off into the main room of the shop.

Oh Thanatos…

That was one of the strangest dreams I've ever had. But it just felt like a whole lot of my memories all lumped together into one huge movie reel and I was seeing a few scenes from everything that had happened over nine years. It was… I couldn't tell honestly.

Not only over the nine years. No. There were also some moments that were mixed in from the very first time I went through this. A lot of the time and memories was so different from each time line that it was kinda difficult to make out which memory was from which.

A twister, a tornado of elements from my life all balled into one big fist and hitting me in the face was what it felt like. The last memory just got me sore and it really just… I still haven't recovered from it even though it was three years ago or something. I can't tell anymore. It's all a blur. It's the passage of time and it flows by so quickly sometimes.

Like a vicious flood.

"Ugh… my head does not feel the best right now…" Begrudgingly I hauled myself off my bed and tied the ribbon around my hair like I normally did and walked over to the counter through the corridor.

"Good morning sleepyhead." Okaa-san's voice reached me, even though I could barely register her voice right now.

But getting the gist of her sentence I nodded back blearily, still having a bit of a headache from all the memories that were utterly thrown into my face right now.

"Yeah… good morning… kaa-san…" I replied drowsily.

"Is something wrong? You seem a lot more tired than usual." She asked with a concerned tone.

"I just have a bit of a headache." I smiled slightly, getting a glass of water to slow down the spreading of the heat that was building up in my forehead and neck.

"You should go rest then. We can't have an ill shopkeeper on the job." She joked.

"Are you sure?" I asked unsurely. I knew she could handle the store but it was just something I did so that kaa-san could relax more. I mean, she needs a lot of it anyways.

"Yes you silly. Now go back to bed." She chuckled before gently pushing me back into my room. Damn. I still can't get over how tall I am compared to kaa-san. It was funny to say the least.

"Alright, alright. Don't have to tell me twice." I laughed a little before closing the door gently and landing on my bed.

With my head on the pillow and not on the other side of the bed. Thankfully. A cold shiver went through the room and immediately… I pulled the covers over me. I hate cold… There was a reason why Orpheus was Fire based instead of Ice based like Eurydice. Minako loved winter and I did not. I don't understand how anyone could like winter though! It's horrible!

**_"So… I guess your mind's kinda steeling yourself for the year huh?" _**Over the time I had spent with Nyx she had definitely picked up more of a casual tone with her speech. It was like talking to a normal human now. That and she could get pretty much any joke that I got easily.

_Yeah I guess so._ I replied. _Good thing… whatever I do this year will change the course of the future for sure. Then after I get up to that point…_ I sighed inwardly. This was the year I had been bracing myself for. This was the year that I would finally end this wild chase and go for that one last year.

It was this next year and the next that I knew would be coming and they would be stressful as fuck. Goddamn… That makes me feel old. A lot older than my body actually is. I just… I just almost lot a grip on that time. I think it was… supposed to be twenty-seven or something. By the end of all this, my mind would be twenty-nine.

I chuckled inwardly at that. Damn. Talk about your mind being faster than your body.

Ah well. _I am going to try and fix a few things in the other timeline too._

**_"You're always such a hard worker. Except for when it comes to school. With that you just… you just flop."_** Nyx chuckled.

_Ah, how comforting. _You know, I think I might have picked up a little of Nyx's formality as well. A little at least. Her speech has been slowly changing over the years so she kinda sounds like a little more formal version of my speech.

Anyways enough pondering on that. I should really be getting some winks.

_Afternoon_

Okay I think I'm good to go now. Hypnos was gracious enough to offer me a few hours of sleep without me having a headache when I woke up so that… that is a good thing. A very good thing.

Getting up I would have assumed that it was something like twelve. I looked at my clock and… yeah. It's about twelve.

Minako bounded towards the counter as I pulled my shirt on with a bit of a serious expression. It was something I couldn't really understand since that demeanour of hers simply did not match what her face was saying. Needless to say, I found it quite strange and she asked me a question right off the bat once I reached the stool in front of the counter.

"Nii-san, I'm just wondering something." She asked, with a tone to match her stern expression.

While before, the last time I went around Minako was admittedly a bit more clingy than normal around me the Minako that had formed in this reality was not by any stretch. While yes she still did refer to me as 'onii-chan' to be a little more endearing at times or to embarrass me, it was more normal for her to refer to me as 'nii-san' or 'Minato-nii'.

I'll concede that how she acted before kinda helped form a sister complex over her but this new Minako was a lot more independent than before. Not that I minded at all. If she can grow stronger like she's been doing it'll definitely be a good thing.

"What's up Minako?" I replied. In the same way that she would call me 'onii-chan' to be a little sweeter, I would call her 'imoto' instead of just Minako. Minako was what I used when I was speaking to her normally.

"It's just… do you know someone called Elizabeth?" She asked with more of a glare playing in her strikingly red eyes.

Elizabeth… Hm… I was quickly going over how I would answer this. I could answer truthfully or keep her in the dark a bit longer. At the moment I couldn't think of a lie to dodge her question right now like I always did. This question was just so out of the blue that I didn't have an answer to it. I'd never imagine that she'd have told Minako about me, or at least intentionally or unintentionally given her a hint.

"Should I?" I asked with a fake quizzical expression on my face.

I worry whether I'm getting too used to this. Lying on the fly was something I had gotten pretty good at now. I have been dodging incriminating questions for nearly a decade now. I think I can evade a few more.

"It's just that one of the people with that name, in the Velvet Room says that she knows someone with the same last name as me, and that his name was Minato." She was trying to back me into a corner. I could tell by the calculative gaze in her eyes. Are you trying to find out what other buttons she could push? Why was she even wondering about this anyways?

"What are you getting at?" I asked, trying to keep the coldness that was creeping into my voice at bay.

A more enraged expression was seeping into her calm mask and it was taking a while for her to compose herself. When she did, the crimson fires in her eyes intensified. Is that a challenge Minako? I gazed back at her with a cyan blue flash reflecting in her biting glare.

"Look, I'm just trying to figure something out." She sighed, rubbing her temples.

May I also add that she was still smart as fuck?

"You keep dodging all of our questions left and right with the silliest of answers," She started to list off a few things on her fingers. I want to see what she's come up with. "You seem different, your battle prowess is unparalleled in our group and I can tell you've been hiding something."

Well yes, but some of those flimsy answers are partly true so don't count them out yet. Everyone changes. I just changed over a longer period of time, and it's affected me. A lot. Well, true but you can't say that it's not a fault of my Personae either. And the last… "What else is new?"

Another thing to add. She is unrelenting when we're alone.

Whenever she tries to corner me like this, it becomes extremely vicious. You'd never even think that we two liked each other if you witnessed even one of our arguments. She, the merciless black wolf who stays on my tail. I, the sly wolf who is able to slink out of almost any trap. These are our fights. Don't get caught in the cross-fire if you know what's good for you.

She growled before swinging her fists through the air, almost wishing she could actually hit something out of frustration. "You do this every time!" Minako shouted. "Why can't you just talk to me like we used to!?"

Your words… they hit me hard. But things have hit me harder Minako. You'll have to try harder than that to break down my walls.

She was the leader now. I was just back-up. And only if they really needed it. Whenever she was asking me something just like this, I would deflect them easily. Hardly any effort was needed for me to send them right back at her.

There was one thing for sure that I knew about my relationship with Minako. She didn't really trust me anymore. It's fine with me though. If she doesn't want to trust me, she can go ahead and do so.

"Your words hit me hard. But I'm not going to say." I replied callously.

She growled before stomping out the door, shooting me a heated look before huffing and walking off.

This is what our relationship has boiled down to. I really just want to keep on my train of thought here and just get to the end of this all. I almost don't want to care about what the people around me think anymore! Just make it stop!

I buried my head on the counter on top of my folded arms, just wishing for everything around me to stop for a bit.

I… I don't know if I can last another two years… I could sense no Persona user coming by.

I squeezed my eyes shut, hot tears starting to stream down my face. Goddammit… goddammit…

**_"Minato, come on. You have to pull yourself together…" _**Nyx said gently.

It was… It was difficult. It really was. Wiping off the tears with my sleeve, I walked to the forge and sat down in front of the anvil. I eyed the grime that covered the block of metal slowly before deciding to open up the little hatch at the bottom of it, hesitating as my fingers curled around the handle of it.

I quickly released my grip on the handle, pulling my hand back as if it was burned by the hot temperature. No, I was fine with the heat. I wasn't fine with myself anymore. I just… I really wanted this to be over. Two more years, and it could be. Oh Thanatos…

Getting up as I sensed someone getting closer to the shop, namely kaa-san, I took place at the counter. I smiled slightly as she entered, she too giving me a nice smile when she entered.

I could feel it.

The mask that I was building up for so damned long just… it was cracking. I was getting so close. It was falling to pieces. It wouldn't be long before they would all see me for who I was. I think the only person who I could get close to showing my real identity now was kaa-san. It wasn't even that much though. It was merely a small chink in my walls…

But a small bit is a small bit. Maybe after I come back… After I come back… I'll take off my mask once and for all.

When the day ended, I was back in my bed and… I was pumping breaths through my lungs like no tomorrow. I… was feeling unusually tired now. I didn't feel like I was up for anything. I was just tired…

When will this all end?

**_"It'll be over soon… You just have to hold on a bit longer okay?" _**Nyx smiled, tinged slightly with sadness, running through my hair with her hand.

"I know… but at the same time I feel like I don't want it to end," I looked up with a smile. "Because when that happens… I'll lose you."

**_"I know. I know…" _**She smiled knowingly.

"I love you…" I whispered quietly before I felt myself drifting off. A faint 'I love you' from Nyx sent me off to Hypnos' clutches, my consciousness fading into the darkness.

* * *

AN: I'm happy with the pace this chapter went at and don't worry, the beginning three quarters of the story is supposed to be confusing. It was fun to write though, I'll admit and making it as convoluted as possible was my goal. If you were a little confused, that's okay. =)

Also, I'm happy you guys like the story but there is definitely more of this coming. Not too much more, but there'll still be a lot of interesting changes, so definitely watch out for some other arcs! Tell me what you think please and what you want me to improve or anything!

Catch ya later!


	31. Remember I Love You

I love you… I'd literally go through hell and back, travel through time, go between dimensions and I'd kill anyone who would try to hurt you… Do I?

Goddamn I'm messed now. I hate it. I hate feeling so helpless. I wonder how I would have ended up if I was alone all this time?

I never thought that all of those more happy songs could feel so empty after you've been alone for so long. It might be bad when the people disappearing around you are passing by as coincidence, but it's even worse when you're purposefully keeping everyone away from who you really are.

Why would I even want to hide something that's such a secret from the ones that trust me? It's a mystery to me. Why didn't I want them to know that I was a time traveller and a dimension skipper? Why not? What would that gain? Would I lose anything?

I knew. It was a stupid answer.

I was afraid. I was afraid they wouldn't trust me again if they knew who I really was. I'm basically like a scar-ridden war hawk right now. Wouldn't that be scary? The person closest to you was actually a killer? A person who can't give a shit to whatever Fate wants to do with him? A person who could break the trust of another person as easily as he could gain it?

What kind of person was that?

In the end, I was afraid that they wouldn't trust me.

Oh how that backfired.

'The person I love most in this world' doesn't trust me anymore anyways…

_Dark Hour, Full Moon_

Walking around for Shadows… Today's a full moon night. I'm waiting on the Magician Shadow. The one that started this whole shenanigan. The night where everything around me will begin to fall into place, and the night which spells the end of the world. Never mind. It's weak as fuck to me.

I could sense it just near Akihiko and Shinjiro.

Teleporting nearby, I ran into the battle that the two were trapped in. Wordlessly, I unleashed a Brave Blade attack and slashed the Magician Shadow to pieces once Thanatos had pinned it down with a Megidolaon attack. Easy.

With that I teleported away. I was wearing my Reaper clothes so they wouldn't be able to sense me if they tried.

_After School_

"Look, I'm telling you that I saw that blue cloaked guy just took out that Shadow that was coming after us and then just…" Akihiko looked towards Shinjiro for support.

"Yeah… he just warped away or something." Shinjiro nodded, obviously confirming his boxer friend's story.

Sometimes I wonder if my disguise works too well.

"Are you sure you guys aren't hallucinating? Kaa-san said she couldn't sense anyone that powerful." Minako asked with a smile. But… there was something about that smile that told me that she wasn't just going to be done with what Aki and Shinji were telling her. I should've figured. Of course she would be curious.

"Yes, I'm really sure." Akihiko replied with a great amount of conviction.

When Aki's sure about something, he definitely wouldn't be lying. Eh, he has no reason to anyways. I was gone just as quickly as I got into the fight and out of it. He wouldn't be able to see me. Couple it with the fact that it was dark and that I was wearing my Reaper clothes which meant that no-one would be able to sense me without coming into close proximity with me. And I kept well away from them for sure.

I wouldn't want to damn myself after almost a decade. That would just be sad.

And disappointing. And just… overall, it just wouldn't be a good time.

"What do you think, Minato?" Minako asked with that same smile from before. I'm sure that if her eyes were open right now, they would be glaring at me with a calculative gaze.

"I honestly don't know. If I knew who it was, I would have sensed it." I yawned, and got myself up from my chair. "Well, tell me if you find anything out."

_Dark Hour, Full Moon_

Quick… and easy.

That was all it was going to be.

The Shadow at the monorail was frozen stiff by the Avatar's killing intent as I donned that white mask. It couldn't move. It was more like it was begging to be destroyed so that it could be reunited with Death. If you're that eager to die, I might as well oblige you.

A single slit appeared in the Priestess Arcana's throat, spewing out ichor in a near endless stream of blackness before its body disintegrated into black and red mist like all the others did. Meh, it's not like anything she could do would have hurt me anyways.

I guess I was just so used to getting hurt with Richard around that I almost forgot that I had the Omnipotent Orb with me. The gift that Elizabeth gave me. I smiled mirthfully before stepping off the front car and walking back on the tracks. That was before I felt it would be a good idea to just teleport back home.

When I got back into my normal clothes, I was out like a light when my head hit my pillow. Not because I was tired.

But because I was tired. Tired of something else.

Just tired of going through this all.

You know what? Whatever.

_After School_

Minako's not the only one I've grown apart from. Akihiko, Shinjiro and Mitsuru especially… I stay away from them and they stay away from me. It's fine. They couldn't help me, and they would only be rubbing salt on infected wounds. Wounds that were only messily bandaged over and showed no signs of healing, and if they were it was slow. Agonisingly slow, and painful.

When I look in the mirror my eyes aren't cyan anymore like they were before. They were bordering on a dull grey. Perfect for how I felt.

I was just resigned to nihilism. I was just waiting for things to end. As much as Nyx could try to help me and as much as I would hate to admit it… it just felt ever painful around her.

Such were the conditions of our contract.

Selfishness can be damned… no. I don't even think this is a matter of selfishness anymore. I can hardly care about the people around me now, and I just felt like I wanted to run to the end of this. That was supposed to be the goal that I had. So I won't feel as bad about how the people around me end up as a result of the things that I couldn't do, or the things that I did that were plain, fucking stupid.

Well… It's sure working out. Note my tone and feel the sarcasm.

But I have to wonder why I even thought this was a good idea in the first place. Okay well, for one… I'm a pretty selfish prick. But that's something I know already. Old news. The other reason was because I wanted more time with Nyx.

Oh Thanatos…

Why don't you just kill me faster won't you?

I leaned back in my chair, not really knowing what I was going to be doing for the rest of the day. It's not like I had anything to do. Everyone would just go home by themselves.

Because of how much of a loner I was now it gave me a kinda reputation around the school that made me out to be pretty cold and a bit of a badass. Oh please. That was because I couldn't give two shits about life, not because of school as emo as that sounds.

I no longer care.

Well, at least my rep didn't spread over to the dark alleys that much. To them I was just another bishounen with a crap attitude. I sighed, slipping my earphones onto my ears as I listened to some Fall Out Boy songs.

I didn't even bother giving acknowledging glances at my senior… friends or anyone else for that matter. With deteriorating will and questions… I was just pushing everyone away from me. For now. I don't even know any more if I could let them into my real self anymore. Heh, my Shadow could take over for all I cared right now.

It's not like it would say anything either. It's just that guarded. Like a wall.

You can bang all you want against it; it won't do any good.

"I'm home." I said quietly after taking a longer walk home.

Kaa-san replied with, "Oh, welcome back Minato."

After giving her a small hug I dropped off my stuff at my room, going out for a little while. Where? Escapade. It was almost evening so yeah…

"Yo Souji." I called, the bartender snapping around to meet whoever was coming in. Once he did his eyes showed a spark of recognition before he replied.

"Oh, hey Minato!" He called back. "Whatcha doing here?"

"Just wanted to hang for a bit." I sat down at the counter, lazily spinning on one of the chairs.

Yeah, day off but whatever. I had a part time job here as entertainment and stuff. So I set up the music or I sang. It was an easy job and I got to choose the music so a lot of indie music comes on. Exposing people to new and awesome music since 2007.

"The usual?" He asked.

I nodded and flipped a few coins onto the counter. Well… I haven't forgotten about you Elizabeth. You were the one who first asked me to find this drink. I just took another step and asked the guy if it could be stocked somewhere else as well. The guy gets profit off it so yeah… it worked out well.

"You really like this one huh? I can't blame ya. It tastes really nice." Souji commented as he wiped a glass clean and began to pour the clear liquid that I wanted into it.

While it did taste nice that wasn't the only reason why I liked the drink so damned much. It reminded me of old memories that were becoming increasingly hard to dredge up now. It wasn't like they opened old wounds or anything, but… they were like old tomes pretty much becoming layered with towers of dust, and it was hard to dig up any of it.

The slightly fizzy mocktail bubbled in the glass that Souji presented me, and I knew I had given him enough for about two more glasses of this stuff. Queen Elizabeth was my favourite here, for sure. "Thanks man." I gave him a slight smile before sipping my glass a little, savouring the flavour as I swirled it around my tongue before downing it.

It was the same way that I drank it all the times before. Start slow until I start chugging them down my throat. I found that listening to the little pops of tartness that came about from the drink brought some rushes of memories every time it happened. But they were all… they were pretty happy memories. It was almost as if it caught me in some kind of euphoric trap as the memories swirled around my head. As if it was my own brand of alcohol even though I'm certain that there is no such thing in this drink.

Well… at least it never got me into trouble. Good thing, otherwise I'm sure kaa-san would make me lay off the stuff for a month. That would be horrifying for me. Heh. I wonder how Minako never caught on to the fact that I still drink this stuff? It's quite the mystery to me.

But hey. I didn't order as much as I usually did so I doubt I'll get too dazed right now. It is only three glasses. "Yo… do you think I can get overtime pay?" I joked as I looked towards the back room where all the instruments were.

"I dunno man. Why're you asking me?" Souji replied, chuckling a little bit.

"Because you're second in command dumbass…" I grinned before shoving the rest of it down and tapping the glass on the counter, resting my chin just on top of my folded arms

"Oh yeah… Must've forgot." He rubbed the back of his head before taking my glass and filling it up again.

"Great job Souji." I clapped mockingly. Eh, it was all in good fun. He knows that.

"Buzz off." He smiled back before throwing a cold wet towel on top of my head, obscuring my vision.

"Real mature. Real mature." I muttered before taking the towel off my head and dropping it on the counter.

Sliding the filled glass over to me and two clear bottles full of the stuff I thanked him before downing the second and picking up the bottles. "Thanks again. But will I really not get that over time?" I smirked as I walked up to the stool on the stage, lazily grabbing hold of the guitar that was sitting to the side.

"No promises!" He shouted.

"Alright, fine. I'll stop asking since I am just joking!" I called back, keeping a lazy or firm grip on the guitar. Strength comparison was just kinda iffy for me now.

Checking if it was in tune, I strummed the strings experimentally to find that the guitar was tuned half a step down. Dropping the two drinks just behind the stool, I eyed the entrance to find…

Huh. Minako.

Well there's one song I guess I know to be tuned like that, and that I know how to play.

Starting to strum a hard solid beat before going along to the electric guitar's rhythm I looked up at the pouring in crowd. They know when it's on no doubt. Heh. Well there's still one thing that I haven't lost faith in yet.

I can never lose my faith in music.

"I'm just a step away, I'm just a breath away." Whoa. After remembering the rest of the lyrics, I just realised that it kinda fits my situation right now. I wonder who tuned this guitar beforehand though. How strange.

"Losing my faith today…" My voice was loud enough to reach the whole of the main room, and Minako who was in the crowd sang the second part.

"Falling off the edge today!" She sang with a grin. If there was any time that we weren't fighting, it was when we were singing. It wasn't like we couldn't be at peace at all. If that was true, kaa-san would have noticed already.

"I am just a man, not superhuman." I mean superhuman in the fact that I'm still not an unbreakable god or something. I doubt those would even exist. They are still human. And humans still have their limits, like I do. Even if I do have a bit of gold Ichor flowing through my veins.

"I'm not superhuman!" She sung back.

"Someone save me from the hate!" Despite the words I was singing, I was smiling. It was a small one, and it was barely noticeable. I found it funny that Minako didn't even know why I was singing this song. If we couldn't talk normally might as well talk with a song. But it's not like she would know the meaning.

"It's just another war! Just another family torn!" I grinned.

"Falling from my faith today!" Minako smiled.

"Just a step from the edge… Just another day in the world we live!" I called for the crowd to sing along to the chorus.

_I need a hero to save me now! I need a hero! (Save me now!)  
I need a hero to save my life! A hero'll save me! (Just in time!)_

_I've gotta fight today, to live another day. Losing my faith today! Speakin' my mind today!  
(My voice will be heard today!)  
I've gotta make a stand, but I am just a man. (I'm not superhuman!) My voice will be heard today!  
It's just another war… Just another family torn… (My voice will be heard today!) It's just another kill… The countdown begins to destroy ourselves!_

_I need a hero to save me now! I need a hero! (Save me now!)  
I need a hero to save my life! A hero'll save me! (Just in time!)  
I need a hero to save my life! I need a hero just in time!  
Save me just in time… Save me just in time…_

_Who's gonna fight for what's right? Who's gonna help us survive? We're in the fight of our lives! (And we're not ready to die!)  
Who's gonna fight for the weak? Who's gonna make them believe? I've got a hero! (I've got a hero…) Living in me!  
I'm gonna fight for what's right! Today I'm speaking my mind! And if it kills me tonight… (I will be ready to die!)_

_A hero's not afraid to give his life! A hero's gonna save me just in time!_

_I need a hero to save me now! I need a hero! (Save me now!)  
I need a hero to save my life! A hero'll save me! (Just in time!)  
I need a hero… Who's gonna fight for what's right? Who's gonna help us survive?_

_(I need a hero!) Who's gonna fight for the weak? Who's gonna make 'em believe?  
I need a hero! I need a hero!_

_A hero's gonna save me just in time!_

Grinning as I finished my strumming, I took a gulp from the open bottle behind me as I exited the stage and put the guitar down. I passed by Minako and gave a soft glance to her and gave her the other bottle before leaving.

Hah. Just because my walls were tight up didn't mean that I didn't expose myself once in a while. It'll just be a bit of a small hint to the question she gave me earlier. Whether she can take it as a gift or an answer is up to her. Well… it's a hint long overdue.

I smiled before walking back home, taking small sips from the bottle and savouring the sweet and sour liquid.

_After School_

All I was doing right now was walking around the school. I was looking for Fuuka. No doubt that if I removed the very reason why my imoto would ever go to Tartarus on that night, it would be a lot easier to get rid of the two Shadows that would be coming in about a week or so.

Taking a gulp from the bottle I brought to school and guzzling it down quickly I rounded a corner to find the girl I was looking for, being bullied. Don't they ever learn? If there's anything that needs to be improved around this school it's the amount of bullies around here.

If you're bored, find something else to do. If you have low self-esteem, go build it up somewhere else. If you're jealous do something else that doesn't involve belittling your target. Just… really. Bullying has no point whatsoever.

"Hey, what're you doing?" I gazed coldly at the group of girls that were bullying Fuuka.

They were frozen stiff at my gaze. They were frozen by the small amount of killing intent that I had shot at all of them.

"W-we were j-just…" The one girl that I had recognised to be Natsuki stuttered before backing away a little with her friends.

"Just stop, and go." I growled, effectively sending them scurrying off with many a scared whimper.

Taking another draft from my bottle I turned to meet the still frightened expression of Fuuka. "Are you alright?" I asked with a slight smirk. I still can't wait until Fuuka gains her confidence again. We don't really need another scanner when we have kaa-san for the job, but it'll still be nice to see.

"U-um… yeah… I'm okay…" Fuuka replied with a shaky voice.

"Does that kind of thing happen a lot?" My expression turned serious at that point, though I still couldn't resist another gulp from my drink. I'll never get enough of this stuff, I swear.

"W-well… I guess so but… I don't really mind…" She replied meekly.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked.

"Um… Yamagishi F-fuuka." Her eyes showed every bit of fear now that I had asked. Hm… I smirked a little.

"I'm Arisato Minato, but you can just call me Minato." The stuff was so light I could wash it down like a soft drink…

"Nice… t-to meet you." She smiled slightly.

_After School_

"S-senpai, I don't know what I could do to thank you for doing what you did a few days ago…" Fuuka said, a little timid. What am I saying? Her confidence issues are going to take a lot of effort to rebuild.

"Don't worry about it," I waved it off. "And don't call me senpai, just call me Minato." I smiled a little before taking a gulp out of another bottle. Woohoo, Tartarus savings. I can buy this shit whenever I want pretty much.

"I still want to do something for you though…" She insisted.

After some thought… I came up with a few ideas. "Well what I really want you to do, is to build up your confidence." I smirked.

"W-what?" She stammered, surprise overcoming her meek expression from before.

"I just don't want you bullied again. You probably don't like it and I wouldn't like it if it happened to you again." I explained placing a hand on her shoulder.

"But… How? I don't know… how to…" Fuuka kept stumbling over her words.

"Try making some friends other than me. Trust me I'm not that good of a role model anyways." I chuckled, taking another gulp and guzzling it down.

"Like who?" She replied, biting her lip nervously.

"Hm… I would say my imoto," I gave her a grin. "She's pretty friendly."

"Your imoto?" Fuuka questioned. Well… yeah I haven't mentioned her before.

"Her name's Minako." I answered.

_Dark Hour, Full Moon_

I smirked inwardly. I had gotten to the location of the two Shadows easily and… They were just off shore. So… should I get wet or not? Should I wait till they get to the port or a little further in?

Well… I certainly wouldn't want to sleep when I'm wet. Still picky about that kind of stuff…

Ah, I should be fine since my teleportation ability is something I can use at will. Thank Thanatos for Black Frost, I tell you. As many times as I want with no drawbacks. I smiled to myself before deciding to hop over to the edge of the island near the docks.

I eyed the blood red water, scanning for any signs of the two Shadows that I was looking for. Looking around and trying to hear for anything suspicious, in the end it just got pretty boring. Ah well. Good thing. Fuuka made a friend. Or a group of friends, as soon as she met Minako. Not that Minako would've really realised why I was doing it until after she met the shy girl.

For her it must be like, 'talking like she's falling down stairs.' Man, I love that song. It's like a guy talking to a girl, but of course Fuuka's the stuttering one right now. Not me. Since when do I anyways? It's not like I get scared of anything and the only time that I do doesn't really count since almost everyone does at that point.

Sometimes I have to literally thank the gods that the only person who sees me doing that is Nyx. For obvious reasons.

I saw bloody rain about to fall on my head. I'd rather that doesn't happen. I teleported out of the way of the water… or is it actually blood? Maybe it's both! Water mixed with blood, so that it's diluted? Maybe? Just maybe. But I really don't want to find out right now. I'm just going to focus on the fight for now.

I could sense the two Arcana Shadows clearly now that they were out of the water. Nice.

**_"The Empress is weak to Physical attacks and the Emperor is weak to Magic attacks."_** Nyx informed me just as the Arcana Shadows landed in front of me.

_Thanks,_ I replied, summoning my two swords. _Tell me if there are any changes hey?_

**_"Of course." _**With that… Which one should I attack first? **_"Also, their other weaknesses aren't blocked like before… they Reflect."_**

They Reflect? Huh. I thought they just blocked. Next thing I'll know, they'll Absorb instead of doing that. **_"Ah. Including forms of Almighty damage." _**Well fuck.

I wonder why they were stronger than before… It wasn't like the last times.

I teleported high up into the air then began to spin as if I was about to go for an axe kick. But, it was more of a fan kinda thing or a shuriken when I was spinning with my swords. After a Heat Riser, I was moving faster than ever. Woohoo, it was like a ride! A dangerous ride, but whatever!

With my momentum going for my swords, they were able to slice through the Empress Arcane's mask like a hot knife through butter, even going through the rest of its chubby body that was undoubtedly filled to the brim with inky black ichor.

Said black blood splattered onto my clothes, staining the blue material. Man, I'll have to wash this later… If kaa-san saw it like that or anyone else for that matter did, they would definitely be keeping a closer eye on me, which is something I don't need to happen right now.

**_"Minato, be careful! Something happened to the Emperor's properties… I'll tell you about it once I get a chance to scan it." _**Nyx exclaimed. Hm… I guess I just better be careful about this. Tetrakarn and Makarakarn, here we go.

"Here goes nothing…" I muttered to myself.

I fired two Panta Rhei attacks the Emperor's way, and… The green blades were sent backwards towards me. Well… I wasn't expecting that. The Wind magic crashed into my Makarakarn barrier, leaving cracks until the mirror shattered. Oh. I guess my attacks were so overpowered that it just broke the barrier instead of reflecting it.

I chuckled nervously as I realised that I really didn't have that much of a way to attack it. Great.

He already Reflected Physical damage so that was a no go. What do I do?

**_"Sorry I took so long… It reflects every kind of damage. But you could use Breaks to get rid of that…"_** Nyx cut in apologetically. Huh. Breaks. Why did I not think of that before? **_"That's because you always seem to want to rush into situations like this with only brute force." _**

_Well, gee. Thanks. _I replied sarcastically before summoning another one of my other Personae that I hadn't really used too much. When I usually have every spell at my grasp I don't usually summon my Persona, so much as use their skills through Mukou Meikai.

"Apate…" I whispered. The personification of deceit and lies appeared as a pale skinned girl with flowing blonde hair, carrying a masquerade ball mask to cover her blood red eyes and a silver knife. She was dressed in a black dress that went down to just above her ankles, not covering her bare feet. "Fire Break."

Pointing her knife at the Shadow, a red haze fell over the Emperor until it faded away as if it was blown away on the wind. Welp, that's coolio. But it's still not a huge weakness. Ugh.

Anyways. I cast an Agidyne spell at his now exposed weakness, the fireballs broiling the Shadow's skin. It may have flinched and almost stepped back into the bloody water, but it was evident that even with that powerful attack it was nowhere near done. How…?

**_"You can't finish off this Shadow without Almighty damage." _**Nyx told me with a small growl forming in her voice. But there isn't a Break spell for Almighty spells… they usually just work on their own! Then… what do I do…? This is one predicament I've got myself into…

I think I might as well get his health down really low. I'll have time to worry about how to get that last blast of Almighty energy off on him later.

The Emperor Arcane swung its sword, cuts in the wind rushing at me. I wonder why this Shadow is so much more defiant than the other two I had been fighting. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it is indeed an Emperor Arcana Shadow. Or am I thinking too hard on this?

Anyways, the Gale Slash attack it sent at me was reflected off my Tetrakarn barrier no problem. However the damage that it took was minimum, and there were only minor scratches on its thick skin. That's sure discouraging. But it already Reflected Physical attacks so I guess it really wouldn't take that much damage from something like that.

Sighing, I cast another spell with Apate. Namely, Ice Break. This time, a light blue haze appeared over the Emperor Shadow. The next thing I did was cast a Ragnarok and Niflheim spell, the white hot flames and the icy blizzard formed a spiral of opposing elements that created sparks as they approached it.

The Shadow tried to block the exceptionally strong attack with its sword but it was no use. The fire overheated the metal of the blade but at the same time the cold cooled it down right away, leaving it weakened.

Donning my Avatar mask, the extra power it granted me swirled around my SP system, running alongside my veins in the black and gold Ichor. Breathing calmly, I appeared in front of the Emperor Shadow with my fists already balled for a strong punch. Yeah, that Shadow might be able to Reflect Physical damage. But I wasn't aiming for the Shadow.

Almost on instinct, its weakened blade moved to block my blow. Just as I thought.

My fist smashed into the blade of the sword, shattering the softened metal into black pieces and leaving only the hilt of it in its hand. I cast another Ragnarok spell into my other hand, enveloping it in white flames.

My blow connected with the red mask on the Emperor's supposed head, black Ichor flying everywhere as my flaming fist collided. Now, if there was only a way for me to finish it off…

I looked around curiously when a white light wrapped around the Emperor Shadow, freezing it in place. What the hell? **_"You can use Almighty attacks now…" _**Nyx informed me with a slow and questioning tone. She didn't seem to know quite what happened either.

Well, okay then.

I quickly charged up a Megidolaon attack in my hand, the gold-violet energy forming into a sphere. The thrown ball of compressed Almighty energy exploded the annoyance into red mist and ichor, spraying it over the concrete and wood.

"Hm… how am I going to wash this?" I asked myself sleepily before just deciding that I could keep an illusion over it until I got a chance to wash up. Luckily it was only stained at the front.

Though when I was leaving I thought I might have felt some SP signatures nearby… I wonder, I wonder…

_Dark Hour, Full Moon_

The Hierophant Shadow was easy as all fuck to beat. It wouldn't even really move so… It was a quick Omega Cluster attack from there. I was walking to the mirror to smash it when I felt some SP signatures coming towards the building. Oh crap… I shook my head to try and avoid the oncoming haze that I knew could only come from the Lovers Shadow. But…

I could recognise those SP signatures… One of them was Minako… A subconscious guise fell over my body before darkness enveloped my vision.

Black…

My mind was a blur, and the words that I knew were going to be said by the Lovers Shadow echoed about in my mind. I knew I could ignore it easily, and I did. It was easy.

It was what I realised next that surprised me.

I was staring down at that familiar face framed by red wine hair and having a scarlet gaze. I just realised that my shirt's off right now. With Mitsuru underneath me. Oh Thanatos.

I scrambled off the bed and almost tripped over the covers as I tried to escape. I messily threw on my clothes, and teleported out of the room.

My breaths were ragged as I leant against the wall near the pile of mirror shards that I had already smashed. In another room of course. That was way too close for comfort… And I was that close to… I shook my head and headed to the second and last mirror in the building, making sure to avoid any SP signatures if I could feel any.

I bashed that final mirror in, finally opening the way to the Lovers Shadow. Why did I end up with Mitsuru in that room anyways? Did that much time pass when I blacked out? I would guess the second question is a yes, seeing as I can feel Minako's SP signature in here as well.

I'm not going to mention right now what room she's in and whom she's with though.

But… why with Mitsuru? It's almost like… why did the Shadow do that? It's crazy…

Not only that, but it reminded me of the fact that I wasn't her boyfriend anymore. Not in this timeline at least. I sighed, figuring that I could work through these feelings a bit later and defeat the Shadow now.

That familiar heart-shaped Shadow was floating in the middle of the room like the last times. But this time, I came alone. Freezing the Lovers Arcane in place with the Avatar's killing intent I lazily drew one of my swords and threw it. The blade spun through the air and sliced right through the Shadow's skin, spewing black blood everywhere in the room.

Casting a Grydyne spell, the sword I just threw came back towards me, all the while piercing 5through the Lovers Shadow again through the backside. I caught the sword by the hilt, and flicked off any remaining Ichor off it. Too easy. And I didn't even move from my spot.

Chuckling to myself and figuring that maybe everyone had come back to their senses since I just defeated the Shadow, I travelled back home the same way that I came here. Yeah, I teleported.

_After School_

"I'm not sure what happened, but I vaguely remembered someone with quite long hair was with me for a split second before he ran off…" Mitsuru pondered as she spoke with Akihiko and Shinjiro.

I was desperately trying to ignore their conversation, seeing as I already knew who was with her, and I didn't want to let anyone know who it was. I already knew that revealing that it was me would have undone a lot of the progress that I've made so far. Not something I would like to happen.

"Are you sure, Mitsuru?" Akihiko asked with a curious expression. I had also learned that Shinjiro was one of the other members that came with Minako that night. The other was Yukari.

I could only guess who the hell Minako was trapped with.

"Yes… I can't quite put my finger on it, but he felt familiar to me somehow…" Mitsuru replied. Well… it's still no hard proof, so that's good. But still, I don't know what else Mitsuru might know about the person she was with. Or, me.

"Hm… now that you mention it the guy that we saw who beat that huge-ass Shadow that was chasing us… something was kinda off about him." Shinjiro wondered, but not before getting a glare from Mitsuru that told him not to swear in her presence. To which Shinjiro shivered and shut up. Oh, your antics.

"Are you sure? I guess so though. There was something about him for sure though." Akihiko agreed after some mulling over.

"What are you guys talking about?" Shit, it was Minako!

"Well, we were just discussing the person that I saw at the hotel last night." Mitsuru answered, barely keeping a blush back.

"Hm… I saw someone the last full moon fighting a Shadow. Long cloak, and a hat…" Minako wondered aloud. "Maybe it's the same person? I don't know anyone else who would be there at the same time, every full moon besides Richard. But he doesn't really do anything."

No way… Crap, I'm cutting this way too close… But I had to keep my façade strong right now. Thinking about it all now could cast unnecessary doubt on me if I'm not careful.

"Hey, the person we saw was dressed like that too!" Akihiko exclaimed.

This just goes to show that I have to be a lot more careful from now on. It could turn out bad for me… And then there would be even more mistrust between me and the group than there already is. There was quite a bit of it if you knew where to look. Minako was pretty much, the chief of mistrust when it came to me followed by Richard, Shinjiro and Akihiko. How awesome.

"That's strange… I wonder why this guy has been doing this." Minako wondered to herself, and at this point I was almost expecting a calculating look being tossed my way. Well, I didn't look up to see if there were any. Sighing inwardly, I headed home almost unnoticed.

I slipped out of the classroom, passing by everyone that I once knew and it was at the school gates that I heard a voice calling to me.

"Hey, Minato-nii." Minako's voice was relatively chipper when you considered how she usually talked to me.

"What's up?" I asked, trying to keep any curtness out of my tone.

"I… I just wanted your opinion on who you think it is." Minako asked with a questioning glint of light playing in her gaze. Hm… I guess I'll humour her a little bit.

"Hm… I just have a strange feeling that it's someone close to us." I smiled.

"Oh, like who?" Minako questioned with a spark in her eyes.

"Um…" I looked up at the sky, trying to think of what to say. "I'm not really sure about that. If I get an idea, I'll tell you."

She punched me lightly on the shoulder as if she was actually expecting something intelligent to come out of my mouth. "Nii-chan…" Minako pouted.

I think I might have staved off her interrogation for a while. How long will that last before she asks me again and gets angry? Well, I guess that's one good thing about today. I ruffled her hair in a playful gesture just like her earlier whining, and walked off with a slight smile and a quiet chuckle to match.

I may have been lying that time, but there wasn't a bad reaction like there usually is from her. Imagine if my meetings with her were a so cordial like that all the time… That would be a nice change I suppose.

**_"Just be careful though, remember that." _** Nyx whispered with a solemn tone. It is something I will never forget.

_Afternoon_

I was sitting bored at the desk, almost ready to fall asleep. I had pretty much nothing to do, and it was a little unusual for me to say the least. You never think the time traveller and dimension hopper could have such a peaceful day like this. It was almost out of the ordinary for me. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is kinda up to interpretation.

But most of all… I was still feeling depressed. It was just the same old thing, over and over again. "Minato, come on." Kaa-san called to me from behind.

She had a slight smile on even though she was kind of scolding me for being asleep on the job. But that's happened before. "Yeah, I know…" I replied sleepily before resting my chin back on my folded arms.

"Is there something wrong?" Kaa-san asked with a slight amount of worry in her eyes. She knew how strong I was, so I guess she couldn't have been too worried about me. Besides, I was still the older brother here. I could take care of myself.

I couldn't trust my words at this point in time, but I had to answer back. What do I say?

Saying 'yeah, I'm fine' would be a complete lie, and I can only guess that she'll figure that out in a heartbeat. If I tell her that there is something wrong then she'll ask what's up for sure.

"I guess I'm just a bit tired." I smiled back.

It wasn't a complete lie, but I could dodge any questions that she might ask if I said either of the earlier options that I had in my head.

She smiled knowingly before ruffling my hair a little bit. "Don't push yourself too hard, okay Minato-chan?"

I smiled slightly and nodded before resting my head back in my earlier position. "Yeah. I know." I whispered to myself. Not in the sense that I was actually just tired from work or lack of sleep. But as a reminder to myself. So that the promise that I made with her will not be broken.

_Late Night_

I love you… I've gone through hell and back, travelled through time, gone between dimensions, and I've destroyed as many threats that would try to hurt you. I would love you, even if the world was going to end.

I keep all my thoughts bottled up inside me, and my emotions simmering dangerously under my calm exterior until they're ready to blow up. I hate the fact that I feel so helpless. No-one could understand just what I was feeling, because they haven't done this kind of thing before. It isn't something that I would wish on anyone else anyways. It was a cruel existence. I've lived all this time, trying to keep someone else safe. I played the protector…

The sad notes of some certain songs only filled me with serenity after singing some hollow, cheerful songs that just didn't match my feelings. The sad songs gave me some kind of peace to think about what has happened so far, no matter what kind. They bring back some memories that not even a drink could bring back. They were bittersweet, but I still enjoyed watching the scenes playing out before my mind's eye.

The distance between my friends and I will come to a close soon enough… When I can finally pour out all of my feelings to them again, like I had done twelve years ago. For now, I would disappear from their lives, barely a mirage. They could trust me, or they couldn't. It didn't matter to me at this point. I would walk farther along the wayward path that I have carved for myself, like I want to. As painful as walking on a gravel surface without so much as socks to shield myself from the pain that I knew I was putting myself through by walking on that road.

I've been playing a prolonged game of cat and mouse with everyone around me. I've been hiding, lying to keep myself away from them. I was still afraid for my friends to walk along the dark road that I had marked out, filled with turns, hazards and lies. With selfishness. As much as I would want someone to confide my worries to, I wouldn't wish the pain of my fading past upon them.

I knew that it may have been some very strange, if not stupid reasoning. It wasn't like it was logical in any sense. But I had lost my sense of logic and 'normal' long ago. Like a lost innocence… I lost a lot of things in fact. My pride, my power, my love, my strength and just so many other things that I couldn't begin to list.

I had to… No. I wanted to be the old scar-ridden war hawk so that somebody else couldn't be. A frightening killer. A defiant bastard who won't take what's given to me as an answer, and will only take what they want. I was the person who wanted to break free of Fate's shackles, and tell her to screw herself. Because I had taken enough. That was the role I was playing, like the anti-hero in a play.

That person would be a peculiar figure, and could even be scary…

In the end, I would still be afraid of what they would think of me after all this time. It was natural. You would feel so vulnerable, and if someone was able to tear the walls that you've built up down… It was almost as if you have nothing else, and lying bare before them in a defenceless position.

Everything that you've sacrificed to keep those walls up would be torn to shreds. When that inevitably happens…

Remember I love you… Minako.

* * *

AN: This chapter took sooooo long to write. But I'm happy I finally got out the words for the scenes. Some of the fights were catching me off guard and… yeah. Haha…

But mostly, the drama was what I was focusing on in this chapter, with some fights to break them up. So please tell me what you think of them! I've been feeling kinda moody lately, so that might be why the drama sounds a lot more detailed than usual. =D

Please tell me what I can improve, and what you liked as well!

Also, I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. It was a bit strange and admittedly, writing that many moments was a bit out of my alley, so that's good! For those who were kinda confused still… that's why I'm going to rewrite this sometime. XD

Catch ya guys later!


	32. Playing With Destruction

_Early Morning_

I should not be awake right now. I sighed heavily and stared up at the blue ceiling which cast that shade of melancholy blue by the night that was pouring in through the windows. I couldn't get to sleep. I was tired, but I couldn't get to sleep. Why?

I was only lying idly in my bed, waiting for Hypnos' clutches to drag me into the realm of sleep. Sweet, sweet sleep… My eyelids were heavy with fatigue but every time that I tried to close them completely, they just wouldn't move anymore and left me with a half-lidded look as they fluttered open again. It was an endless cycle, as if something within me just wasn't going to let me drift into a deep slumber.

I rolled over to my side to face the wall instead, trying to avoid the moon's pale gaze and hoping that maybe a change of position would let me go off to sleep quicker. I already knew that it was futile though. By the fact that all the other times I had tried tonight, I still hadn't slept.

I didn't even know why I was like this.

Thanatos, I just want to sleep… I don't really care how at this point. A sigh in my mind and a pulling feeling on my arm later, I was back in my mindscape. "Oh… hey." I smiled slightly.

**_"Hey." _**Nyx replied, a worried look crossing her face.

"What's with that face?" I asked, tracing her cheek.

**_"It's nothing. I just want you to get some sleep, that's all." _**She sighed, starting to bring my head to her lap.

Maybe I was just caught up in what was happening lately a lot more than usual… It wouldn't be the first time.

_Early Morning_

Yakushima… I kept a steady pace as I walked along the shoreline of the beach with the froth and foam licking at the sides of my feet, looking around the dawn-filled sky. There were even still a few while pin pricks of light piercing through the amber curtain that was the sky up above.

It was still a bit cold out so I was wearing my hoodie, and I walked the same way that I did through a dank alley; my shoulders hunched and when I wasn't looking at the sky, my head low. I had been keeping a relatively slow pace, slow enough that a majority of my footsteps were already washed away by the sea as the depressions were filled by the sand that came in on the waves.

I headed towards the wooden boardwalk which was dusted lightly with a sprinkling of sand, and the support was covered with sea water. I sat down at the edge of the boardwalk, my feet brushing against the surface of the cold water.

I stared down at the water, watching the waves distort my reflection. I felt a presence approach from behind me. I knew who it was… Since I had been walking to this spot other than a reason to relax.

"Aigis…" I whispered to myself, turning my head to meet her amazingly blue gaze.

Within a few seconds I could feel her arms around me. "My highest priority… is to be with you!"

But I didn't have anything to say. There was nothing to say. Nothing but stay and think. But still I replied. "What's your name?"

"My name is Aigis." She didn't say the rest of her model or the generation she came from or whatever. I guess it's the Universe affecting her and melting away the inhumanity.

"Nice name. My name's Minato." I introduced myself, my feet kicking up some splashes of water as they grazed the clear surface, lit up golden by the very slight amount of sunlight.

"Minato? I see." Aigis replied.

I sighed, barely trying to resist closing my eyes. Damn… I'm tired…

"Are you tired? You should get some sleep." Aigis suggested.

"Yeah… I should. But I'm too tired to walk back up to the house." I smiled slightly. I couldn't very well tell her that I could teleport from one place to another in a snap. Besides, the feel and view of this place was still nice. Even if it just reminded me of old, happier times. Wave after wave of nostalgia washed over me as we stayed like that as the salt tinged breeze flowed by and the sun started to show its face over the glistening horizon.

"Are you sure?" Aigis asked.

"Yeah… I'll be fine. It's nicer here anyways." I replied, a smile beginning to crease my lips.

"Why do you think that?" I chuckled slightly, still looking off into the sunrise.

"The breeze, the light and the view…" I smiled with a wistful tone in my voice.

"Hm… You're right. It is quite beautiful." Aigis smiled, her head now resting on my shoulder and her arms still wrapped around my body. It wasn't that bad… Spending time with Aigis. I didn't really hang out with her that much before so it was refreshing now to see this new face now, acting so much more familiar and human-like.

_Dark Hour, Full Moon_

I have to get there quickly, and be out of there as soon as possible. I don't want another person getting the jump on me again like Minako did. I don't even know what she was doing there but… What bothers me is that I couldn't even sense her in the first place. It's a big mystery to me…

I really should not be dwelling on this right now. I'm tired, and I feel way more woozy than usual. Let me get the hell out of here and back to sleep…

I sighed and then gritted my teeth as I quickly charged to the two combined Shadows and split the tank-like form in clean halves. Too easy. I sheathed my swords in a pocket dimension before deciding to teleport back home.

However the tension that I felt hanging around in the already heavy atmosphere seemed a lot more strained than usual. I quickly glanced around, now trying to feel for any SP signatures. Looking around, I knew that I really shouldn't be worried about something like this, but there was something off…

"The bearer of Death…"

"The bearer of Death…"

"He's here, he's here…"

The demonic voices that rang around the tunnel were spine-tingling… As powerful as I was, the voices still sent shivers shooting throughout my body. Why is that…?

It felt as if the temperature of the air was dropping several degrees every passing few seconds. The killer intent that was lingering in the darkness was even stronger than any Titan or god that I had encountered, and it left me wondering what in Tartarus could produce something like this…

I was almost frozen to the spot, and I could not will myself to move for fear that if I did… the owners of those voices would definitely kill me if they got the chance. Whoever it was… or… Whatever it was. Why? I mean… I was jailor to Death and I held a part of the personification of night's consciousness.

Something in me was stirring… Something that I was trying very hard to ignore, but the haze of voices and the buzz of the constant sounds were still echoing in the back of my mind. Whatever it was, the voices were screaming out to destroy and to kill. No, I couldn't! I wouldn't! I gritted my teeth and teleported back home like I was supposed to, still feeling weighed down by the voices…

The screams…

I crashed onto my bed after getting changed, still shivering from the demonic tones that were playing in my head. They kept shouting to kill, maim, torture and… I couldn't block it out even if I pressed my hands against my ears. I think doing that might've even made it worse…

Desperately, I tried to squeeze my eyes shut and get to sleep. But I think more of my time was spent shutting my eyes instead of sleeping.

_After School_

From that time on, the voices were a bit quieter. It was at least enough that I could concentrate on what I was doing in the day instead of looking so haggard in stance and appearance. Like I suspected would happen afterwards if they sounds became any worse. Knowing my luck it could happen soon.

But of course, I still wouldn't be in tip-top shape. Not that I really was before, but before I didn't have those strange whispers droning on in my head like they were doing now. There was one thing for sure though. People would probably still be able to see that there was something wrong anyways.

"Hey man, you okay?" Akihiko asked with a slight amount of worry in his voice and expression.

"Oh I've just been a little under the weather." I replied, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly.

"Are you sure?" He pressed further.

"Yeah. I've just been a bit tired lately. No biggie." I smiled.

_Dark Hour, Full Moon_

Oh man this is bad… Minako's here on my shift. It's almost midnight and she won't be affected by the Dark Hour. What do I do? Not to mention…Richard. Fuck… What have I gotten myself into now!?

"Minato-nii, is there something wrong?" Minako asked with a worried expression as she approached the amplifier. I sighed, turning the music up.

"I'm just feeling a bit tired…" I replied. It was no lie, but I knew that Minako would probably ask about it again later. Knowing how analytical she is anyways, she'd figure out that there was something else going on.

"Um… okay then." She replied.

After dodging another bullet there, Richard was the next to come up. "Hey man, are you that sure you're alright?" An emerald glint flashed in his gaze, and it was that same glint that I recognised when he was scanning someone using Lycanos' powers.

"Why don't you just find out, why don't you?" I muttered under my breath.

"Hey, I've been seeing this black haze around you that I haven't seen before. Do you know what it is?" Richard asked.

I tried my best not to sound like a total douche at this moment to try and get him to go away with my words. "No… If I knew what it was I would have tried getting rid of it by now." I shook my head, using a convincingly resigned tone.

"Do you need help?" Richard asked with a grin.

I smiled mirthfully before replying, "I'll be fine. I'll find a way to get rid of it soon."

Richard sighed. "Well if you do need help then just ask someone man."

"Yeah, I know." I replied, blasting a different song through the speakers. A more… classy song anyways.

"How do you always choose good songs?" Richard laughed.

"It's just skills. This is why I get paid more." I grinned back. A sense of dread fell upon me at that moment, and I knew what was coming.

_Dark Hour_

"Huh. It was almost midnight I suppose…" Richard muttered. "Hey… Do you feel that?"

I knew he would probably sense the presence of the Hermit Shadow, but the problem for now was incapacitating Richard and Minako. "Yeah. It actually feels a bit strong but… nothing that I can handle."

"We dude. We." Richard huffed as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

I shrugged, and Minako came over to meet the two of us. "So, are you guys ready to kick some Shadow butt?" She grinned.

Come on… think of something to distract them! I stared the ground down, as if I was looking for a solution there.

"Kill… It's in your nature to kill…"

I looked around frantically as the voices grew louder and louder in my mind. Thanatos was twitching uncontrollably in my mind, his movements growing more erratic as the sounds and voices rose in volume. They rang throughout my mind, and I couldn't ignore them now…

They were too strong…

"You crave destruction… The blood of a killer runs in your veins… You want blood spilt… Destroy!"

No goddammit!

Before I knew it, the sounds were gone for a split second before the slight whispers returned to replace the haunting echo of those demonic voices.

"Minato-nii?" Minako's voice broke through the whispers, and I looked up to see her worried face.

"Hey are you okay dude?" Richard asked.

"I… I'm fine now." I replied, silently trying to slow my breathing.

"Really? When your hand moved, that signature disappeared…" Minako wondered. "What did you do?"

Wait… I think I used my teleportation powers… the pocket dimension ones anyways. There must be a sword stuck in the corpse of that Shadow right about now… I clenched my hand and sure enough I felt one of my swords return to that pocket dimension.

"I-I don't know…" I mumbled, my head feeling quite hazy and numb, probably from the words that those things were saying. Just thinking about them was getting me increasingly riled up, and the things that they were saying obviously hit Thanatos pretty hard, since I can barely hear his laboured breaths.

"You should probably get some rest. You look really tired." Richard said sternly.

I nodded weakly, my knees feeling equally as weak. "Come on nii-chan…" I felt the warm presence of Minako under my shoulder and I felt my feet being dragged along.

"Thanks Richard… Minako…" I smiled slightly back at the emerald eyed Persona user who merely nodded with a wolf-like grin.

"It's no problem Minato-nii." She replied with a chipper voice.

_After School_

"Minato-nii… you don't look so good. Is something wrong?" Minako asked with a worried face. Even though she might not have liked the fact that I hid a lot of things from her, she still worries about me.

She pressed the back of her hand to my forehead, presumably to find my temperature. "Hey, you've got a pretty bad fever… Are you feeling alright?"

I almost wanted to say 'no' but… I mean, should I? "Well… Honestly I feel pretty dizzy…" I mumbled. Yes, I probably would be dizzy when those damned voices have been screaming in my head through all the night.

I keep shivering when I'm still whenever those voices start whispering in the back of my head. Shivering in constant fear. Cold sweats start to build up, but thank god the air con's on so nobody really noticed it. I kept fidgeting about when I'm usually sleeping in class and… even now they didn't stop. I keep trying not to bay to those dark sounds, but the struggle against them was so draining. I was surprised that I hadn't collapsed or something from fighting against the urge to go and just kill something.

"Then, maybe you should go to the doctor…" Minako suggested with an imploring gaze in her red eyes.

"Kill… Destroy them all…"

Another pang of pain shot through my mind, and I winced slightly from it. But it was enough that Minako saw that there was definitely something wrong.

"Give in… You need to kill… you need to put others in endless suffering…"

The urges were stronger that time, and my fighting mind felt as if there was another bullet being driven through. "I…should… but I don't know… if it'll help…" I replied, desperately trying to ignore the errant thoughts that were creeping into my mind. My vision was getting blurry…

"Onii-chan?" Minako asked with an increasing amount of alarm showing in her expression.

"That's what you need to do… That's what you are… So go and set the animal free… Wreak the havoc you so desire…"

No…! I can't set my Shadow free again! No! I can't be a killer! I can't be a monster now! Never again! My breaths were ragged as I tried to resist the force of the voices again. It was getting too hard to fight back…

"A killer?" Minako asked with a confused expression.

A killer…

"Onii-chan…" I felt a warm embrace wrap around my chest and torso. Minako?

"If there's something wrong, you should tell me… I just want to help you." She said quietly.

Somehow the voices were fading away once she started talking. It was like the urges, the voices were under a different command now…

"Then… can you stay with me a bit longer?" I smiled weakly.

She blinked once or twice before her surprise turned into a soft smile. "Always… I won't leave."

I felt like I was finally okay again now. She was by my side. Her tender touch. It made me resolve that I would be able to get through this, even if she didn't know about it. I sighed inwardly, thinking that maybe I could go to sleep now…

I smiled to myself, my hand grasping for something in my pocket. Feeling that familiar, cold metal watch, I clutched it tightly and lifted the clock from it and placed it on the counter. Minako gave me a questioning look before her eyes widened once she saw the symbol on the silver pocket watch.

"I'm sorry…" I said quietly. "…imoto…"

"Can you tell Elizabeth something next time you go to the Velvet Room?" I asked, just as quiet and weak as before.

"W-what is it?" Minako asked with a shaky voice, probably still shaken by the fact that I had finally given her this one answer.

"Can you tell Elizabeth… I'm sorry?" I smiled.

Minako looked at me with a pleading expression, asking me to tell her what this was all about but she nodded slowly anyways.

"Thanks… I'll tell you about it later…" I grinned. I had never promised her that before now in this timeline. She was usually just left to guessing, like I had wanted her to be. But the reason I had told her about this now was that the voices were wearing me down, and I couldn't possibly refuse to answer her now. Now that she had caught me so vulnerable, there was no point to not answering her questions now. I couldn't keep things from her anymore, with no point and with not much strength to hide.

"Why now?" Minako asked.

"I'm just tired…" I smiled softly, clutching tight my pocket watch.

Minako sighed exasperatedly, but I think this time she knew that it just wasn't a lie this time. No ulterior motive to keep anything hidden was in my tone. "Talk later, rest now."

She hefted me onto her shoulder and carried me into my room.

_Dark Hour_

"Thanks… I've been troubling people a lot lately, haven't I?" I grinned up at Nyx, still tracing her cheek.

**_"Well, that's for sure." _**She rolled her eyes playfully, smiling softly.

"Hey… have you figured out what those voices are?" I asked.

**_"Yes, I have. But worry about it tomorrow. You're still tired. You still have to explain some things to Minako you know?" _**Nyx said with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Huh. True." I smiled. "Very."

_After School_

"So… are you going to tell me what that was all about yesterday?" Minako asked with an almost disbelieving tone. Well, I wouldn't blame her. What I had just revealed to her yesterday, coupled along with the fact that I never really told her anything for all these years would probably make her extremely wary and not hoping for much.

"Yeah." I answered bluntly, hiding no undertones of deception in my voice, looking her straight in the eye.

Minako's eyes widened in shock. "A-are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm lying this time?" I asked quietly with a calm gaze.

Minako was still stunned for a few moments before she smiled in relief. "Alright then…"

"Just know that what I'm going to tell you is going to be up to you to believe. I don't expect you to." I said seriously, however with a resigned tone.

"Why does this sound so much more serious than I realise…?" Minako wondered with a worried tone.

"Who do you think I am?" I questioned with a blank expression.

"What do you mean by that? You're my nii-san!" Minako exclaimed.

I sighed and gave her a sad smile. "Then… I want to show you something. Tell me if you want to stop."

She nodded slowly, obviously not knowing where this was going. I placed a hand on her shoulder and closed my eyes, trying to make up the illusion of my first attempt.

First was the Moonlight Bridge. With the incident of my arm. I highlighted the things that were different especially, with the meeting of kaa-san and the Velvet Room.

Elizabeth appeared same as ever, showing me the forge and the concert hall. When I met Philemon, Margaret, Igor, Nameless and Thoedore…

Memories flashed in the illusion several times, the times when I was singing with Minako in there flooding the vision. The bits where I could remember her beautiful voice and the times where even Margaret, Theodore and Elizabeth joined in even…

I showed her the memory of the thugs attacking kaa-san, and me tearing them to shreds. At this point I was amazed by how Minako just wasn't going to quit seeing them. The clear remembrance of blood staining the ground and walls kept appearing after I showed her how I left with my hoodie and a pack with my sword inside, along with some other things.

The blood that paved the alleys flashed in the illusion, the people I tortured and the people that tried to torture me appeared, and the kills. Thanatos would appear and annihilate every single one of them with his blood stained sword.

I thought I could hear some slight sobbing in Minako's voice, and it definitely wasn't from the illusion. I wrapped my arms around her, finally stopping the gruesome images from flooding her vision, turning it back to the time when I finally came back home.

I briefly showed her kaa-san's grave stone before quickly moving onto school, Akihiko, Shinjiro and Mitsuru. Pretty much the rest of it was skipped, quickly passing over the scene where Mitsuru and I finally admitted to each other that we loved each other.

Minako's shuddering was starting to calm down a little bit as I showed her the scenes of the twelve Shadows that came later being vanquished, finally coming to the thirty-first of December when I got arrested on a tip off by Strega.

I skimmed over the scenes that told about the God's Plain, mostly leaving in the bits about the powers that I had gained as I result of fighting all of them.

Eventually I got to the part where Elizabeth gave me the pocket watch and the Reaper clothing, and the part of my first journey when I was transported to the past after beating down Nyx.

I ran through meeting alternate Minato and alternate Richard before going through the rest of the journey so far, leading up to here also passing over the fact that I fell in love with Nyx and that I broke bonds with the Velvet Room residents.

I finally dispelled the illusion, Minako looking up at me with tears in her eyes. "How long?"

I sighed quietly before answering. "Nineteen years."

"That's…" She raised her hand, open palm and I got ready for what she was about to do next.

But the slap I was expecting didn't come. I just felt her arms around mine as if she just stopped herself from doing it. "Then… what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going back to fix the other timeline too." I replied with a sigh.

"But… nii-san. Why you? Why couldn't it be someone else?" She asked pleadingly. She didn't want me to go. I could understand that but I only chuckled.

"I'm just… I'm really selfish. That's all there is to it." I smiled.

"Nii-san…" She sighed. "But all I want is for things to go back to how they used to be… When you didn't hide everything and bear everything on your shoulders… Not asking for help whatsoever…"

"I want that to happen too… But I'm too selfish to let Fate run her course like she did back then." I sighed with a resigned tone.

"Then can't I help you right now? I just want to keep you safe…" Minako pleaded with an expression that just took down the walls that I had built up in one fell swoop.

"Just… just wait a bit." I mumbled before closing my eyes.

**_"The voices are the Keres." _**Nyx informed me succinctly before her presence disappeared.

Wait. The Keres? Ignoring the voices again in my head, I tried to remember who they were. **"They're my sisters." **Thanatos told me with a quiet voice. The daemons of destructive death? No wonder…

**_"Go back to Tartarus." _**Nyx said. I see… I guess that her daughters would probably gain a lot of power during the Dark Hour. And at the place where Nyx is supposed to be when she is summoned, I think that makes a lot of sense.

_Thanks Nyx. _I smiled inwardly.

"The thing that's been bothering me is actually at Tartarus." I finally said after a few moments of deliberation.

"What are we going to do?" Minako asked with a determined expression.

"We?" I asked with a playful tone.

She punched me lightly on the shoulder with a pouty expression. "Well of course! What makes you think I'm going to let you go alone?"

I smiled. Well… I'm happy that Minako hasn't rejected me and what I've been doing. I'm more surprised that the thing that she had been focusing on was the fact that I had been going at this alone rather than the fact that I had killed people before.

"Alright. Let's go to Tartarus, just the two of us." I commanded as I went back to my leader-like tone that I used before SEES started to distrust me.

"How are we going to get out of here without kaa-san sensing us?" Minako asked with a curious tone. It was almost like she was a little kid again… I guess she must've just matured lot more so that she could find out what I was hiding before. But now…

I'm not hiding anything from her. It was really different from what I was used to.

"Easy. SP suppression and an illusion. That's how I've been doing it." I grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head.

"Wait, really?" Minako asked with a spark in her eyes.

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" I grinned, even putting up my hands into the seal that was needed.

A clone of me appeared just next me, looking exactly the same and actually feeling real. Minako poked it a few times before I dispelled it in a puff of smoke. Well it didn't actually need the puff of smoke but it was just for dramatics sake.

"Whoa… You can do other stuff with this, can't you?" Minako asked excitedly.

"Yup. Sure can." I replied with a smile, summoning an illusion to take the form of a blue butterfly on my finger.

_Dark Hour_

"Alright. We'll just zip over there in a jiff." I grinned to myself, readying a minute amount of SP so that I could teleport the both of us into the lobby.

Beforehand I made the illusions to look like we were both asleep. The illusions also gave off an SP signature which is why it worked exceedingly well for me. Being able to slip out unnoticed, it was definitely a good strategy from the one I had adapted to become the Reaper in the alternate timeline.

"What are ya doing?" Minako asked as she kept a firm grip on my hand. If she held on she would be able to teleport with me.

"Just a minute…" I mumbled to myself, earning me a questioning look from my imoto.

But that look quickly melted into one of surprise as the lobby of Tartarus started to swim from black into our visions. "You can even teleport?"

I nodded slightly with a smile. "Yeah… you can bet it's saved my neck a lot." I replied, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly.

"So that's how you were able to move so quickly…" Minako nodded to herself as she figured it all out. The appearances of the cloaked figure were increasingly quick and it was difficult to know how unless you were me. I would literally appear from out of nowhere, beat the boss down and then leave.

"Yeah." I nodded to corroborate her conclusion.

The voices weren't all as strong as I had thought they would be, like before. I think it was only because I was with Minako that I could barely hear the voices that were whispering in the back of my mind.

"But are you sure you want to-?"

Minako growled threateningly and glared menacingly, almost daring me to finish that sentence lest I want to have a naginata at my throat. I wisely chose to stay quiet about that and with a resigned tone say, "Never mind."

"Damn right Minato." She huffed, using almost the same tone as when kaa-san was irritated. With that tone you knew that she wouldn't be in a good mood while she said that. I'm sorry Minako I won't doubt you again, I thought frantically. Haha.

Points to kaa-san and Minako.

…I still have a ton of points though.

"Well time to put sensing abilities to work." I closed my eyes, trying to sense those SP signatures of the destruction daemons. Focus…

Keres, Keres, Keres…

The spirits were swirling around the top of the tower, I could feel it…

Coming back to the sight of the lobby, I shook my head out of the thoughts that were slowly encroaching upon my mind's territory again for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

"Did you find them?" Minako asked.

"Yeah… but I don't feel like teleporting to the top." I replied with a sigh.

"Then what do you want to do?" She asked excitedly.

"I feel like climbing on the outside." I said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"… nii-san. You're crazy." Minako deadpanned.

Ouch, talk about blunt.

"Crazy, but awesome." She grinned, in contrast to her demeaning look earlier.

"I'll take that compliment then." At this point anything from her could turn out to increase my self-esteem. Jokes, my confidence is fine. Hopefully that statement didn't seem like I was desperate for any self-esteem.

…I hope.

Is it just me or has my thinking just turned back into my thinking pattern from about… I'll just refer to it as the 'first time' since I can't be damned to figure out how many years ago it really was. Yeah, lazy. Anyways, reverted to my thinking pattern from the first time?

I think it has. I remember thinking about more jokes and sarcasm than I did now. Most of my thinking was mostly focused on how tired I am, and I'm not going to deny that. But damn, that's depressing. Talk about sad.

"So, shall we go?" I asked with a grin.

"Yup! After you nii-san!" Minako smiled back.

I nodded in agreement, and went up to the first floor.

"What are we doing back in Thebel?" She asked curiously.

I shrugged before creating several cracks in the labyrinth's wall with a Makarakarn and Tetrakarn spell. How? Well… I just materialised it as shards of glass instead of the mirror like I normally did. It was a pretty painful move when you got hit by it like that.

"Did you just use a Makarakarn and a Tetrakarn spell? You gotta teach me how to do that!" Minako bounced up and down ecstatically.

"A bit later then. We have a tower to climb." I ruffled her hair before slugging down the weakened spot with a single punch, the debris flying in a plume of dust.

"Wow. I don't remember you being that strong…" Minako said in wonder.

I shrugged and grabbed a solid hold onto a ledge outside, holding a hand out to Minako. "Let's go!" I shouted.

Smiling, she skipped over to the hole I just made and took a strong grip on my hand. "Do you trust me?"

"I trust you, nii-san." Minako replied.

Nodding I jumped on top of the ledge I was holding onto beforehand, and gestured for her to come up.

"I can do better than that!" Minako pouted as she jumped onto another higher part of the tower.

"Is this a race?" I smirked, also jumping ahead several stories of Tartarus.

"You want to make it into one?" She grinned back.

"Let's." I smiled before warning her about one thing. "But be careful of the black shrouds that might be coming down. Kill them when you can."

"Alright!" She cheered before leaping a bit higher.

"That girl…" I shook my head with a sigh before hopping onto the roof of a structure that stuck out from the main tower.

I looked up ahead at the crescent moon's sneaky gaze, trying to watch out for any of the Keres. For a while I sensed no movement as I stared at the curdling moon. It was only a few moments later that I sensed something move, especially as Minako ascended the tower.

"There's one!" I shouted before an icy wind dissipated the black shroud. It wasn't mine though. Heh. Minako.

Using Double Up I channelled more power into my legs, intending to jump onto another structure to keep an eye out for more Keres. And get ahead of Minako in the process.

More of the black hazes were moving towards me and Minako, but I think I'll have to leave her to dealing with those daemons. I have mine, and I'm pretty sure she can handle them anyways.

Summoning the Reaper's Revolvers, I shot Agidynes at the black fog, catching glimpses of their brown stained teeth and the blank white gaze as they came closer to me. Something tells me that this definitely is not their real form, especially when they have those features on them.

I guess I'll just have to dwell on that later. Right now I have a race to win and Minako's reaching the middle. Not to mention the fact that she's been doing well to fend off the Keres shrouds so far.

I chuckled to myself before jumping onto a higher platform, using the same method as before. I was reaching about the point where the Harabah block started and when I leapt I swear I caught a glimpse of something at the top. Something as black as the night that Nyx ruled and as vicious as any one Universe wielder's Shadow…

And it was from the top that I saw even more fog coming our way with the same features as before, though they seemed to be forming into something even… humanoid. Something remotely humanoid at least.

The dark wisps were now forming thin, straggly legs and equally string-like arms with claws. Bodies were thin, more like bone than fat and skin. They were almost like a fairy tale vision of dark or fallen angels with their black, wispy wings. However the blank gaze and the teeth that they bared were still the same as before, taking residence on their hanging heads on a neck that did not look like they supported them well.

I sent waves of fire and shock waves of electricity to fend off the daemons, turning them into shrouds of black mist. But they were seriously growing in number, and more of them were getting closer. As they rushed closer, the claws were beginning to be put to work as claw-like mirages were fired from swipes of their lean arms.

I blocked them off with some Deathbound attacks, at least destroying the last of that wave. I breathed out a sigh of relief as I sensed that Minako was now starting to move ahead again with literal leaps and bounds. I better get moving too. I don't want her to show me up!

Approaching the end of the Adamah block and almost to the top of Tartarus, I could see the presences that were gathered in a ring around the altar where Nyx would be summoned.

There were several of them, but I couldn't see them quite clearly yet.

The final wave of daemons came rushing at me, and most likely Minako with more defined forms.

They were clothed in black with equally dark, feathery wings sprouting from their backs. Their faces were pale with blindfolds around their eyes and mouths, unlike before. The hands had formed into actual human-like features, and they carried scythes. Go figure.

Still, they came charging at me with tremendous speed for an angel-like being anyways. Nothing I couldn't handle. Breathing out to face the Keres, a glowing ball of purple and golden energy that couldn't be mistaken for anything else started to form in my palms.

"Megidolaon!" I shouted and the Almighty bombs that I had thrown exploded in the muggy air, ripping the white clothed daemons to shreds and leaving the sky clear. Minako was just about to reach the top…

I quickly leapt into a charge of Keres, easily protecting myself using Thanatos' Moonless Gown defense, until I decided to blow them up with a Night Queen attack. Welp… that was satisfying.

"Hey, we got up at the same time!" Minako called as she landed at the top with me. "But Thanatos, I'm tired!" She complained, her slightly reddened face making it quite clear.

"Well… hopefully this'll stave ya for the rest of the hour…" I silently cast a Diarahan spell on her, temporarily numbing any aches she might've been feeling at the time. "You okay?"

"Thanks nii-san," Minako smiled back. "I think this'll do for now. That's some good exercise though." She grinned, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. Geez, that's like a thing with me and Minako…

"Yeah…" I grinned.

Sighing heavily, I turned to face the ring of Keres that were circling around on the tower.

"So…" I muttered to myself. "You guys are the ones who've been filling up my mind?"

"Yes that is true…" One of those demonic voices replied with an airy voice.

"Why?" I asked.

"We crave destruction… We crave violence… The bearer of Nyx… Harbinger of annihilation… A source of great destruction and death was easy to influence…"

"Bearer of Nyx?" Minako asked curiously.

"I'll explain a bit later. Right now, I want to kill these pricks." I growled, summoning Mukou Meikai into my tightening grips.

"I might be a source of doom and destruction, but that isn't going to stop me from resisting those fucking urges of yours." I snarled, easily slicing off one of the Keres' heads off and spilling a shower of gold ichor everywhere. "Your turn Minako."

Minako nodded with a determined expression, swinging her naginata to cut off another one's head off.

"Ugh… I'm getting impatient… I don't mean to be a kill stealer but I really don't want to stand around with these guys anymore." I said, my palms gathering SP within.

"Don't think that this will be so easy." Another of the Keres whispered.

"What do you mean?" I said warily.

The remaining Keres were starting to dissolve into that black shroud again, the culmination of each of those fogs starting to form into single figure. Ugh, I should have known. Fusion.

The form it had taken was more feminine to say the least. The hair that flowed behind it was pitch black, the body it had was more fog-like and bony like one of its last forms. That blank stare from its white eyes was back again, and its needle-like teeth were on show again. Okay, that's actually kinda creepy.

Eh, still not going to stop me.

"So… let's go Minako." I grinned to her, breaking her from the mystified gaze that she was giving the form of the combined Keres.

"Right!" She grinned back, bringing her naginata into a ready position.

_Nyx, do you have anything? _I asked.

**_"There aren't any weaknesses, but no resistances either. Just do what you can." _**She replied simply. **_"However, they still have a lot of vitality so just be careful."_**

_Thanks. But just what I should've expected from these daemons. _Nyx chuckled a little bit before her presence faded back into my mind, and I knew that it was time to start wailing on these guys.

"Okay then…" Getting into a loose ready position for Backbeat.

Minako moved first. "Eurydice!" That Persona that I recognised so well appeared behind her in a plume of blue mist.

"Snowflakes!" With that call, Eurydice began playing a soft melody on her harp.

But I wasn't sure what was going to happen until cold breezes started to cut through the muggy air and gashes started to appear in the Keres' body. They were vicious gashes, made not by the wildness of wind, but the frigid disposition of ice.

Since when does a song/spell with the name of 'Snowflakes,' mean that the enemy would end up as a bloody pile of flesh on the floor again? Especially with a name like 'Snowflakes'?

I don't know…

"Orpheus Crescendo." I muttered, the dark armoured musician appearing in a shroud of black fog.

"Burn My Dread." I whispered and the rendition that he played started to heat the field up again, the Keres starting to catch on fire as the part where I knew the brass kicked in started to play.

Well, there's some more damage there.

I could feel something stirring up in the air, and it was something I recognised pretty well since this was an attack that I like using a lot too. Vorpal Blade.

"Minako, be careful. Next attack is Vorpal Blade." I called out to her, to which she nodded back.

"Alrighty!" She cheered, and with that I could feel a shift in her psyche. Me being me, I switched over to Geras with his high defences and his affinity to Physical skills.

The Keres slashed their claws, slash damage being thrown about the air and cutting through it like the earlier song Eurydice had played. With Geras blocking the Slash damage easily, I was busy just readying a Nova Kaiser attack in my palms.

Minako herself was charging for the Keres, gaining more energy as more slashes from the Vorpal Blade attack. "God's Hand!" With that summoning, Siegfried appeared and bashed the daemons hard with the ethereal golden hand that formed around his fists.

"Minako! Get out of the way!" I shouted, and she promptly jumped out of the way as she saw and felt the powerful attack that was forming in my hands.

"Nova Kaiser!" I yelled, the spheres of Almighty and Light energy exploding as they came in contact with the straggly body of the Keres.

That should have caused some kind of damage at least, not saying that the Burn My Dread and Snowflakes songs that Orpheus and Eurydice played didn't cause a substantial amount of damage anyways, not to mention the God's Hand attack from Siegfried.

"Troublesome…" The Keres muttered all at once, the combined voices creating a myriad of demonic tones both in sound and in atmosphere.

I closed my eyes momentarily, trying to get a feel for the attack that the Keres was readying.

What…?

I couldn't identify the attack since I hadn't seen it before and I assumed that it must have been one of the special abilities that only the Keres carried, much like how Achlys could use a fog shield or how I could cause some devastating magic attacks using Eris' golden apples not just as a distraction, but also as the spell itself.

There was one thing that I knew for sure about the attack that the Keres was using. It was a Dark and Havoc attack.

"Minako, be careful of this one. The next attack it's using is going to be a lot more powerful!" I warned her and she nodded, keeping a keen eye on the Keres.

A sense of dread filled the air, and it was starting to become more and more frightening as I stood in the deluge of dark atmosphere. Something intense and something extremely powerful. The fear that was starting to creep into my heart and mind, I could feel my grasp on the powers of the Universe fading and even more so, my affinity to the Death Arcana.

A black haze fell over the area, almost about to crash onto our heads as if they were a set of jaws that were going to rip us to shreds if we couldn't get out of this attack…

Almost on instinct at this point as I felt the guillotine-like shade of darkness descend upon both Minako and I, my arms moved to push the gnashing teeth back and at least keep them from causing what would undoubtedly cause a lot of damage if it hit.

"Minato!" Minako shouted. "Let's finish this!"

I opened up my squeezed shut eyes to see Minako glowing with an ethereal blue light, much more intense than any other Persona summoning that I had seen from my imoto. The spiritual pressure that I could feel from within her was rising, and it was reminding me of the surge of power that I attained when I awakened to Orpheus Crescendo…

"Eurydice Telos!" Minako growled, another form of that musician Persona of hers appearing in a haze of almost blinding cyan blue. The gold body of her Persona was turned into a pure white colour, as if to contrast Orpheus Crescendo's navy, almost black armour. Her eyes were silver in contrast to gold and the scarf that she was wearing was black. However, the auburn hair and joints stayed the same.

"Use Snowflakes once more!" With a succinct nod, Eurydice Telos started to play on her harp. However there was something very different about the spell that she was using now… There was a bit of Almighty energy mixed in… and a whole lot of Light energy to go along with the Ice that was already in the vicious spell.

When the frigid winds kicked up again, not only was the attack that the daemons had used dissipated but the Keres had taken a heavy amount of damage from that version of Snowflakes. "Last attack, Eternal White!"

Eternal White? How…?

A blast of blinding light filled the area, and eventually the flash cleared up. But… the Keres was gone. She really did it…

My imoto…

I smiled to myself before casting a Salvation spell to restore some of our stamina.

She's coolest of the cool. Literally.

* * *

AN: Talk about taking a long time, I'm so sorry. OTL

But I just could not write the rest of the chapter, no matter what I did. But thankfully I've gotten here, and even given Minako a new Persona! Now that's something you don't see every day.

Tell me what you think of the chapter! I worked really hard to get this one going, so please?

Welp, I'll see ya guys later and I'll appreciate the reviews if you have anything to say!

Sayoonara! 3


	33. Lost in Darkness

_Dark Hour_

"Thanks a lot, Minako," I smiled as she pulled me into a hug. She really had done a great job beating down the Keres. I never would have imagined that she would've inherited the same skills as Philemon. Eternal White of all things? Well I'm glad that she got even stronger than I could ever imagine. It was just cool, like I thought she was. And literally too, since she's primarily an Ice user.

It was like we were opposites. I liked using Fire and Dark while she liked using Ice and Light magic. Yet our personalities could actually be the same a lot of the time, funnily enough.

"It's no problem, Minato-nii," She smiled, back. "But how are we going to get back home?"

"Just hold on tight," I replied with a grin, readying a small amount of SP so that we could teleport home.

Within barely a few milliseconds we were back in my bedroom. Quiet as ever, and the illusion was still there. Cool.

"I'm probably not going to get used to that any time soon…" Minako commented as she slipped her grip off me, albeit a bit shakily.

"For the person using it, it becomes pretty normal. Maybe you can get the same powers as me if you ask Philemon," I smiled and shrugged.

If she could get those powers, then it would be a lot safer for her then… Being able to travel wherever you wanted in barely the blink of an eye, and to be able to wield the powers of illusion… Not to mention the powers of Double Up and the pocket dimensions, and lastly but not least… The capacity for knowledge that Odin gave me, the powers to find things amongst untruths…

It's a whole slew of possibilities granted by these increases in power. Not to mention the fact that you can get past the level barrier and break through it by fighting all of them.

"You mean I could get the same powers as you!?" Minako squealed excitedly.

Oh right… I put a finger up to my lips to remind her that kaa-san was probably still asleep and she immediately put on a sheepish smile at that. "But yeah, if you ask you could probably give it a try. I'm sure he'll say yes."

Huh, it was almost like I was telling her to get permission for something from a teacher. That is kinda funny… "Are you sure, nii-san?" Minako asked with a child-like questioning expression.

"Yeah, I even asked him if it was okay for me to try to get someone else to do the same challenge I did," I smiled back. "Surprisingly he said yeah…"

"Wait, who?" Minako asked.

"Me from another dimension. He's a year younger than me and has an obsession with chocolate for some reason," I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Huh, he sounds funny!" She giggled. "But… you're also going to change the course of the future in that timeline too, aren't you?"

That ending was too… it was too short. I still hate the fact that I gave him so inadequate of a goodbye… It was a huge regret on my part. No-one deserves a goodbye like that, or lack of goodbye for that matter. If not for that goodbye… I probably would have left unhindered.

"Nii-san? Are you okay?" Minako asked with worry glistening in her eyes.

I must have gotten all quiet and pensive from thinking about that. "As okay as I can be…" I sighed, sitting on my bed. "Sorry… can you leave me alone for now?"

Minako bit her lip but she didn't leave. I sighed inwardly. It's just another time that I appear like a wounded animal huh? "I'm not going to leave you like that," She said with a determined tone.

"Then are you gonna stay?" I replied lamely.

Minako smiled at that, and gave me a hug. "Always, when you need me," She whispered. "Because you protected me before… long ago…" She continued rubbing my back.

"When are you talking about?" I asked.

"You protected me from Death, that night… ten years ago…" Minako replied with a shaky voice.

"If you don't want to talk about then… then don't," I breathed out slightly.

"I guess after all this time of distancing each other… we still need each other," Minako chuckled mirthfully.

"Yeah… we do…" I replied quietly and with a solemn tone. "I'm always going to be sorry that I left you alone for so long…" I hugged her a bit tighter. "You don't have to chase after me anymore… I'm sorry…"

"Nii-chan…" I could feel her shoulders shuddering again.

"Don't chase after my shell… Don't…" My shoulders started doing the same, and I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to hold back tears. "I'm the one who's supposed to be chasing you. I'd chase you through Tartarus and back…" I almost hesitated before saying the last of my words.

"I love you, Minako," I said.

"I love you too, Minato," She replied back, with a small amount of trembling in her voice.

"Are you sleepy?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah…" Minako began to hug me a bit tighter. "But I don't really wanna go…"

"Then don't. I wouldn't be separated from you for the rest of my life," I chuckled softly.

Minako giggled before I heard her say, "Then… good night…"

I breathed out in relief before lying down on my bed, also dispelling the illusions that I had made. She's not going to get off me is she? I chuckled before going to sleep, still in Minako's embrace.

_Morning_

I had pried my eyes open from a night of sleep, feeling all too well rested. I might not have felt like waking up since that was probably the best night of rest I've gotten in a long time. I hope Minako didn't drool on me or something… That would just be unfortunate. I checked my shoulder and… good, she didn't.

I breathed out a sigh of relief and rolled over, trying to shake Minako awake. To my surprise she had woken up in a few seconds rather than the ten minutes of blaring music, shouting and shaking it usually took. Or I could bribe her with food, but other than that she was one heavy sleeper.

"Hey nii-chan…" She said sleepily, still rubbing her eyes as she yawned and stretched as she got off my bed.

"Hey imoto…" I smiled, trying to resist smashing my head back into my pillow. I feel really sleepy… I feel like Minako and I just swapped sleeping dispositions. She woke up real easily this time, and I still feel sleepy.

"You still feel sleepy?" She giggled, grabbing my hand and dragging me off the bed.

"Yeah… a little…" I chuckled, trying to stand myself straight.

Minako giggled a little before skipping off to the doorframe. "I'm gonna go change. See ya in a bit Minato," She smiled before walking out.

Yeah… I better get changed too. As much as I don't really want to but… Eh. It's okay. Quickly getting dressed and somehow still feeling really tired, I went out of my room and got ready for the day. There might not have been any school but I still had to mind the shop.

Once I had sat myself on the stool on front of the counter, my head was soon to make a terse meeting with the desk. A subtle shaking from none other than Minako came shortly afterwards. "Geez, I'm usually the tired one," She sighed but smiled.

"Yes, we've switched sleeping habits," I joked, trying not to let my forehead meet the counter once more. He was quite hard-headed, like me. And pretty cold. The counter was nice to lean on for a while, if you could stand his harshness for that long. Unfortunately I don't think I could.

"Good thing or bad thing?" Minako asked playfully.

Well, I'm not quite sure… It's not like it affected us drastically. It wasn't like my disposition when it came to sleeping was that important. Maybe in school but I've pretty much got that covered already. Yay for Yggdrasil.

"It's just a thing… But more sleep for me would be good…" I smiled back.

Minako giggled. "Probably. If you've been doing what you've been doing every night then you'd need that sleep!"

"Yeah, pretty true," I replied.

Oh right! "Are you going to visit the Velvet Room any time soon?"

"To visit Elizabeth and stuff?" Minako asked to confirm.

"Yeah," I said. I had left her just like that… I've come to realise that I'm really not good at goodbyes. Whenever I do it, or do something even remotely close to a goodbye someone ends up hurt, and bitterness fills my heart and sourness pierces my mouth as I pour out my words, or even just say nothing.

"Hey, do you think I would be able to pull you in?" She asked with a curious expression.

Well, I didn't know what would happen. I had just broken off from the Velvet Room's contract essentially now that I had Nyx's so it was a huge wonder. More importantly I was more wondering about how Elizabeth would react, or any of the other Velvet Room siblings for that matter. I had basically just up and left them, even if Philemon had explained what happened.

"I don't know…" I replied. "I'm kinda… I'm kinda scared of how they would all react after all this time…" I bit my lip and gazed at the floor with a regretful glaze in my eyes.

"I just… I kinda just left them," I sighed. "Like I did everyone else."

"Minato-nii…" Minako said quietly, and not long after that I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. "I forgave you right?"

"I guess but at least I was still… there and around here," I sighed. "Neither Elizabeth nor I have seen each other at all for over a decade."

"Hey… It's better late than never," Minako urged. "You can still see them…"

I…I suppose. I guess it's a matter to my courage this time. I can go now and beg for forgiveness later… As hard as it is I want to leave them off properly and that will mean that I have to go to meet them first.

"Alright… a bit later though," I conceded with a sigh.

"Okay then!" Minako cheered.

_Afternoon_

No-one had come for anything really important today, just like the other days. There were a few kids who had come and gone, looking for some figurines. Surprisingly enough, the store did stock some figurines, and they took the shape of some gods in Persona form. They were quite cool I had to admit, so I would understand that maybe some people were collecting them.

The one I saw coming by a lot was Ken actually. He came here every so often with his mum, and he avidly collected those figurines, along with some Featherman R merchandise. He was a pretty big fan of Featherman R of course. The first one that he ever bought here was actually Nemesis ironically enough. Soon after that, he had taken to collecting the unique figurines and he came by quite often.

My favourite one was the Thanatos figurine and Minako's favourite was the Orpheus figurine. I just had to wonder why she liked my Persona more than hers…

Ah well.

I found myself singing softly to distract myself, like I did often. It wasn't like there was much to do when you were watching the store. "Paralysed, and you don't know why… feeling like somebody's fool."

"Try to find some peace of mind, maybe you're hiding the truth," In my mind, I could still hear the drums to the song and the strumming of the guitar. Before when I sang, it was usually to try and get out my anger in another way other than killing someone. It had been a long time since I had killed anybody actually. Last I remember was Ikutsuki.

"Thought it'd be better in a world so cold, but I wanna tell you what I've been told…" It had been a long time since I had actually been singing for fun. It was something I had sorely missed. Besides, the lyrics to this song were actually quite inspiring and the type to instil a certain kind of hope in people that had lost a lot of meaning in their lives.

"Life ain't that bad, look what you have…" I smiled to myself. Living was quite hard but it wasn't like it was the worst thing. I'd still rather be alive than dead. Besides, I wasn't just living for myself anymore like before. I wasn't only working to tear up the Moirai's tapestries anymore. I was still living for my family and for my friends, not to mention Nyx.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… when the highs aren't so high, just do what you can," Minako sang the next part of the chorus. When it came to our tastes in music, most of it the same though some bands we just liked more than others. She liked some more electronic and poppy songs than I did, and I liked a lot more metal and rock.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… A world you can change, and a life you choose," I looked to Minako to see if she would finish off the chorus.

"'Cause somewhere out there," Minako began, and I sang a harmony to go with the last line. "Somebody wishes they were you…"

"You wanna go now?" Minako asked.

I nodded wearily and followed her into that familiar alley underneath Mandragora. The energy that was swirling around the crevice was becoming overwhelmingly familiar to me as I took in a few tension-filled breaths from the stifling air. The atmosphere of the Velvet Room was leaking out in droves, bringing back bitter and sweet memories.

Minako took a hold of my wrist and after opening the door with her other hand, she pulled me into the familiar blue room. A feeling of nostalgia washed over me in waves when I entered the room with her. It had been a really long time since I had come here… Perhaps it was just too long in fact.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room…" Igor's familiar voice filled my ears. "It seems we have a new guest, or perhaps… quite an old one," He looked up, and his bloodshot eyes met mine. The grin that he almost always held did make him a little bit unnerving, but overall there was a tone of familiarity in his voice.

"Hey Igor," I replied stoically, smiling slightly.

"No need to explain to me why you had disappeared for so long. Master Philemon has already informed me of the situation," Igor chuckled. "However, I fear that one of our attendants had a less than enthusiastic reaction to your disappearance."

I could only guess who it was. Oh man, I messed up big time on that one… "Minato-nii, come on," Minako urged me once more. If I didn't say it then coming here would become utterly pointless.

"Y-yeah… Where is she?" I asked Igor.

"She is in the Concert Hall. But I suggest you be careful," He replied. "I'll open the way for you."

I had pretty much broken the contract to access to the Velvet Room and Minako didn't have VIP status like I did, so I guess the only way for that to be opened would be by Igor or Philemon. I sighed and began walking to the door, steeling myself for any unsavoury reactions.

As I walked down the hallway a huge sense of dread was beginning to form in the pit of my stomach. It was… the cold kind, a lingering atmosphere and emptiness that much like the one that I had carried before the Keres attacked me. I feel like there's something more at work…

I hesitantly took a hold of the doorknob and opened the door.

I poked my head around it, looking and feeling for any sign of Elizabeth. I couldn't quite pinpoint where she was, but there was something else… I wasn't sure what it was but I thought it was the source of the unease that I was feeling, and it became even stronger as I walked around the room to look for Eli.

"Elizabeth?" I called out, feeling a disturbance in the already tense air as I did so.

"M-Minato?" A voice with an incredulous tone asked. However, I could only know it to be Eli-chan's. I turned around to the source of the voice, and I was greeted to the sight of a familiar face that I had been looking for.

The glint in her golden eyes and her blonde, almost white hair told me who she was. She was a little different to what I remember, having a small amount of length added to it. I guess after this long, maybe it did have to grow even a tiny bit longer. It was negligible, but the last time that I had seen her was so long ago that I just had to notice.

"Y-Yeah… It's me," I replied quietly, almost apprehensive to how she would react. I knew it was her, but there was something about her that gave me a few shivers. In fact, if I hadn't stifled them so far I think I would have been trembling even more than had been when the Keres were haunting me.

"Minato…" She whispered before I found her arms around me. "It is quite nice to see you again," Eli-chan said, even though the expression that I saw on her face showed a lot more happiness than her tone suggested.

"Yeah… It's been a while," I sighed.

"What did you come here for? You have already refused our contract," She asked with a sadder voice.

"I just… I wanted to say sorry for leaving you alone for so long, and the rest too without saying goodbye," I replied. "Can you forgive me?" Saying that, it sounded like a really stupid question. You couldn't just forgive someone for something like that. Essentially it was abandonment on my part.

"I forgive you, Minato," I heard.

Huh?

Did she just forgive me? Just like that? How? A multitude of questions were running through my head but that all ended when I felt her arms wrap around me in a hug. "Are you still going to go, though? You can only come here with Minako's aid after all," She asked.

"Well… I might come back later with someone else but… That's probably not going to be until a lot later," I explained with a solemn tone.

"I see… Then can I just ask something of you before you go?" Elizabeth questioned with a shier tone than before.

"What is it?"

Before I could even react her lips closed in on mine in a terse meeting, demanding entrance. Well… it was the least I could do so I obliged her and we were soon locked in a heated kiss. My mind was growing somewhat fuzzy and my senses not so clear, but…

It felt almost too good to stop.

After what seemed like an eternity, Elizabeth and I broke off. "I'll see you sometime, Minato," She said quietly and with a smile.

"Y-yeah… I'll see you later Eli-chan," I replied, still feeling a little bit dazed. With that, I turned heel and walked back to the door, grabbing a hold of it and soon entering the main room of the endlessly blue room.

"Did you apologise?" Minako asked with a confident grin.

"Yeah… I did," I replied hesitantly.

"Is there something wrong? From what I can tell it turned out pretty well!" She smiled.

"It's just… there was something about Elizabeth that seemed so… off about her," I said. I might have really liked what just happened a few moments ago, but I still had to admit that there was something about it that seemed pretty weird…

"Hm… I don't know. But maybe you'll notice something if you come again later," Minako shrugged, starting to walk towards the exit. Maybe. It's a possibility. It'll be a while though, so I'm not exactly sure what would happen in the meantime. To her at least…

"Maybe. Shall we go?" I asked with a smile, almost pondering holding my arm out as if I was taking a girl to the school dance or something. Haha, it was fun just playing around like that sometimes.

"Yup!" Minako smiled, but to my surprise she hooked her arm around mine, much like I had been thinking before. After sighing slightly, we left the Velvet Room.

"How about I tell you about Elizabeth any other time I go there?" Minako asked as the bell at the door to home rang.

"You'd do that?" I asked. If she was offering I couldn't exactly refuse. Not to mention that it was something I was pretty interested to learn about as well. Besides, even if I didn't meet up with her for a long time, way back then she helped give me advice and other things… I'm definitely not perfect, far from it. But, I'll still worry about the people in there. It wasn't like they were just attendants.

"Yeah, of course! I worry about her too, since she helped me a lot when I was a bit younger and stuff! I'd like to keep her safe," Minako smiled. Same reasons as me I see.

"Thanks then," I replied, ruffling her hair before sitting down on the stool in front of the counter.

After Minako had left, I had begun thinking about what was up with Elizabeth. There was something, a dreadful gut feeling of some sort that made me uneasy. Perhaps I was mistaken, and maybe it wasn't fear that I was feeling from her. It was… something just dark and foreboding.

It's just something I'll have to worry about it sometime later. I shook my head to see kaa-san walk in. Hm… "Welcome back, kaa-san," I waved to her. She nodded with a smile and promptly went to the forge. I wonder why she's going there…

But that aside, the same aura that was given off by Elizabeth was coming off of kaa-san too. I didn't know what the hell it was at this point. I thought it was just Elizabeth but… kaa-san as well? Minako didn't have that on her so I was very curious as to what it was.

I decided to walk over to the forge and check up on what she was doing, finding her looking at a nondescript Nihil Sword. "Kaa-san, what are you doing?" I asked as I walked further into the forge.

What was even weirder was that the strange aura I was feeling became even stronger when I approached her. The uneasiness became ever more fervent and I was beginning to feel sick from it. Lumps were forming in my chest as I came closer and closer to kaa-san, but I knew that I had to keep going. There was something else at work here, and I had to figure it out.

"I was just inspecting some of the Nihil Weapons," She answered with a smile.

But… we haven't forged anything for a while now. It wasn't like we'd need to since I just dropped some really good weapons on everyone with my forging skills. So… why?

"But we haven't forged anything for a while," I replied with a small chuckle.

"True, but it's just in case," Kaa-san shrugged as she put one of the black swords back onto the wall. I guess… I don't know. There's no point.

I sighed inwardly before asking, "Is there something wrong?"

"Minato, all I want is for us to get along again," Kaa-san smiled sadly. "I've seen it. You two have been slipping further and further apart from each other. You and Minako I mean…"

The anxiety that had been forming throughout this whole conversation was starting to get even worse and stronger. "We've patched things up already," I said quietly.

"You have?" A surprised expression creased her face, but at this point I could feel some of that unrest starting to die down a little. "Without including me on all the fun!" Kaa-san smiled and laughed, giving me a hug. "That's good though."

I nodded with a slight smile and walked off. There was something more to the strange sensations that I got when I was faced with the people that were afflicted by it. It was peculiar to say the least. Dangerous? I had yet to find out about that. It was definitely something I would just have to find out later.

"I hope everything's gonna be okay for now…" I whispered to myself before closing my eyes. "Good night, Nyx…"

**_"Yeah… I'll see you when Hemera enters the tower," _**She replied.

How poetic. I chuckled lightly before falling into a nice, deep sleep.

_After School_

I've been noticing that SEES really hasn't been that active lately. It's kinda strange… I mean they usually at least visit Tartarus once in a while. And go kill themselves in Monad but that's beside the point. My inward chuckles stopped as I watched Shinjiro, Akihiko and Mitsuru. There was something about them that was terribly off and it reminded me of Elizabeth and kaa-san.

It was probably that same haze of unease that was surrounding them. Whenever they even so much as brushed by me, there was a wave of unrest that washed over me. It was hard to get close to them, and I didn't even know what the heck was wrong.

Know what else I saw? Fuuka, Yukari and Junpei had the same! What's happening? The only ones I've seen without that haze are Minako and basically the rest of the population that doesn't have a Persona and isn't part of SEES. I even saw something around Richard too. Now this was starting to worry me a lot more than it should have.

Surrounded by a sea of unrest it was starting to make me feel a lot more worried. But I didn't know how I could get rid of it. I had asked Nyx before and all I had gotten was that it felt strangely familiar to her. She didn't mean it, but that just served to confuse me even more. I was totally lost this time.

Man, I hope this isn't a sign of something bad in the future…

_Dark Hour, Full Moon_

I slipped on my gloves like I always did when there was a Full Moon Shadow. "Minato-nii, Are you gonna be okay on your own?" Minako asked with a bit of a worried expression.

I smiled and ruffled her hair after putting on my hat. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It's nothing I can't handle," I replied reassuringly.

"If you're sure… If you don't come back I'm going to use a Samarecarm after I find your body and beat you back into submission for dying on me," She smiled playfully. Well it might have looked playful, but I think she was serious about that one.

"Aha, I'll definitely come back, I'm sure," I chuckled before giving her a V-sign and zipping off to the next location of the Full Moon Shadows. They were the Fortune and the Strength this time if I remember correctly.

It was a different feeling that I felt as I waited for the appearance of the Arcana Shadows. Usually there would be a feeling within that made me want to just get things done and over with. But this time that emotion wasn't present. Maybe I don't feel as tired as before.

I chuckled to myself.

Better put this energy to good use.

A disturbance in the air was telling me that the Shadows were coming even closer to my location. A loud thud and a faint hum told me that they were indeed there. Breathing slightly I turned to face the Fortune and Strength Shadows behind me, finding that there wasn't a force field around the golden, lion-like Shadow.

Full assault on me I suppose.

The Fortune Shadow perched upon the wheel that it summoned and started to spin madly. This time I don't think I could just get some hits in on it using it's… frankly rigged wheel. There's a lot of risk there.

Not even bothering to summon my swords, I teleported to just above the Fortune Shadow and slugged the head of the golden lion down with a clean punch. Except when you don't.

My fist collided with torso of the Strength Shadow and while I was sure that there was a good amount of damage done with that punch alone, the defending Shadow stood tall to my attack. That meant…

The still spinning Shadow that was guarded by the Strength finally stopped turning, landing on a red slice with the largest hit-mark on it. Oh you little bitch.

I was blown back by the innate damage that it caused, certainly feeling some strain on my heart especially. So I guess I can't get careless. I mightn't have gotten any damage or pain from that attack, but I'll still have to be careful. It seems like the power of the Shadows in this timeline have been upped quite an ante at times. Maybe it's because the parts of Death that were within me were even stronger than they were initially. That would make the most sense to me.

**_"Have you been solving mysteries without my help, Minato?" _**Nyx commented playfully.

_"Well, actually I guess I have been." _I smiled to myself. _"I suppose I don't have to rely on your smarts to figure out everything, huh?" _Nyx chuckled before I felt another intake of power and surge of SP. Maybe it was because I could feel her content at this point.

"Alright, let's try this again," I grinned before charging up the spell for Makarakarn, throwing the shards of the magic mirror straight at the Strength Shadow. The golden shards cut and tore into the Shadow's flesh with viciousness unlike any other, releasing fine sprays of black ichor around the plaza.

They seemed even more wild than normal with a small boost of power from Nyx. Not that I minded at all. More damage is good. There was always one thing that I was wondering about since the Universe Arcana had essentially fused into my own pool of power. I was never, ever able to kill off an enemy straight away, even with that huge boost of energy. It was something that was always a mystery.

Eh, I don't really need to be wondering about that right now.

Welp, the Strength Shadow began trying to push me back again since the Fortune Shadow had begun spinning again. No doubt that wheel was going to land me a whole lot of debilitating results from one slice alone, and I didn't even know what was on the board at this point!

I continued trying to attack and destroy the Strength Shadow with several spells and even some physical skills, however it was managing to stand strong. Maybe the parts of Death within me were too strong. For my liking anyways. Just die already!

Deathbound after Deathbound, God's Hand after God's Hand and Ziodynes after Ziodyne and it still wouldn't die! A faint click in the distance which seemed to come from behind the guarding Shadow made me look around. What the hell did the spinner land on now!?

**_"You've been Enraged!" _**Nyx called out worriedly. Well, no freaking way, I was Enraged!? No wonder I feel so fucking frustrated right now! In my rage, I charged at the bitch that was the Strength Shadow and punched the fucker right where the jaw would be, sending inky blood flying everywhere. With another haymaker, I used Orpheus Crescendo's powers to send my foot right under where the chin would be, eliciting a satisfying 'crack' from the collision.

What I didn't see was the wheel that the Fortune Shadow was perched upon landing on another red slice with a large hit-mark on it. Fuck.

I was sent sailing into the muggy air, however feeling actual pangs of pain this time. I could barely remember now… When you were Enraged, you took more damage from attacks… Aw damn. While I was blinded by my rage, I took some damage when I just should not have in the first place.

Feeling several dull aches around my abdominal area I quickly tried patching them up with a Diarahan, but that was after I spat out a few globs of glittery, black tinted blood. I may have more energy, but things just really aren't going my way. Huh. Fortune. Fate.

Reminding myself of the fact that indeed, Fate has already kicked me while I was down several times, I staggered up to my feet into a somewhat salvageable stance. The pain was gone, but I could still feel some fatigue. It might have been small but it was still noticeable.

Wiping off the remaining tendrils of scarlet saliva from my mouth I began my returning onslaught of attacks. The problem right now was who I would try to target first. It had been a long time since I actually had to think about how I was going to approach some problems, since most of the previous fights that I had been in were more on pure instinct and keeping up with the heat of battle.

_"Have you got anything for me, Nyx?" _I asked. If anyone knew how to do this, it would be Nyx.

**_"I'm glad you have such faith in me," _**The Night Queen chuckled. **_"Alright, I'll tell you this. I can feel the Fortune Shadow giving the Strength Shadow more power than usual."_**

The Fortune Shadow's feeding the Strength more energy to make it stronger? No wonder! So that means that it's a lot weaker than usual since it's giving a lot more of its power to the other one. And that's why the Strength has to protect the Fortune at all costs. Before, it was giving the Fortune its power with its force field. Now it was the other way around.

I see how it is. _"Thanks Nyx," _I smiled.

**_"No problem, now go get them!" _**She cheered.

"Alright, this might be risky, but…" In my palm an Omega Cluster spell was beginning to form. Why did I call it risky? I would produce a pretty big explosion of SP that could alert kaa-san if I wasn't careful. But at this point, it was all or nothing. In my other, a Nova Kaiser was forming as well.

Running, I teleported to the Fortune Shadow again. With the momentum I had built up, I was still charging by the time I had reached it's back and… I smashed the Omega Cluster-filled fist that I had into the golden Shadow's body.

The explosion engulfed the body of the Fortune Shadow and completely disintegrated it. Not only that, but the Strength Shadow was a bit damaged by the attack as well. Awesome. The other lone spell that I had been charging in my other fist went into the face of the remaining Shadow, making a shower of Ichor splash out from my hit alone.

Without the extra power that the Fortune had given it, the glow of white that was within my hands had destroyed it completely.

Jumping back, the Strength disintegrated into the familiar black and red mist that all Shadows burst into when they were defeated. The way they should stay. Well… looks like this night is over. I just hope no-one noticed me. I quickly scanned around to see if there was anyone watching me. But it looked like that for this time… I was well and truly alone. Looks like I can go.

I snapped my fingers to teleport back home and saw that everyone was asleep. I sighed in relief and went to sleep after changing out of my clothes. "See ya all when Hemera enters the tower…" I mumbled, wishing my friends and family a good night.

**_"I'll see you when I leave,"_** Nyx replied.

_Morning_

"So, how'd it go?" Minako asked me as I got my bike ready. "Last night I mean."

I smiled and nodded. "It went well. A bit tougher than usual but nothing I couldn't handle," I chuckled. Minako smiled at that.

"That's good," She replied. "I can't have my nii-san hurt now, can I?" Minako said playfully.

"Nope," I agreed.

_After School_

Welp, with mid-terms over… Well actually I don't get anything. The only thing that I would get would be the pride that I could only get from being able to do my exams without actually studying for quite a few years. Haha.

As always, I got top marks. Same with Mitsuru. And even though I haven't been pushing Shinjiro or Akihiko to study, they've been getting some pretty decent marks on their own. And by decent I mean they're in the top ten. Talk about a skewed sense of achievement on my part. Though I suppose that has been one of the reasons all along; one of the reasons why I've still been on this journey to change the timelines and all. Over-achiever is me.

Minako had top marks like me, but that was because she studied. I was mostly going off of memory but to see that my memory wasn't failing me… Actually never mind. The power that Odin gave me meant that I could store and gather as much knowledge as I wanted without forgetting anything. I almost forgot that.

Anyways, Yukari and Junpei were… to be expected: Yukari with above average marks and Junpei whom we don't talk about. Fuuka got top marks along with Minako, even if they weren't in the same classes. I had checked though and I knew that she did if you compared her marks to Minako.

Actually, now that I think about it… I haven't worried about my marks for a really long time. I was never really focused on them at all before, but now I was. It was strange, but a nice change. For the first time in a long while I actually felt more like a normal kid again after opening up to Minako. Even if it was only one person, it was definitely a start. I can tell everything to them later. It's not like I won't be coming back this time.

The only thing that I really had to worry about now was Nyx. But it was something that I could just let be for now. I still have another year. I can settle my other regrets then.

"You did really well this time, Minako," I smiled and ruffled her hair as I walked out.

"What are you talking about Minato-nii? I always get top marks whatever I do!" She smirked with a bit of a boastful tone in her voice. Well… okay that was true. "You should tell me how you get top marks! How do you? How do you!?" Minako asked.

"Oh?" I chuckled nervously. The only reason that I could get full marks without studying was because of Odin's powers. "Well… I just managed to remember everything from the last times that I did this. That's all." It was the truth, but not the whole thing.

"Eh!? How do you remember everything!?" Minako asked with an incredulous tone. Good thing was that she didn't appear to be chastising me or anything. Oh, when she did do that sometimes it could be bad enough to slink back to whatever I was doing earlier in shame. Not this time though. Thankfully when she wasn't scolding me for something, it was a pretty empowering cheer of hers.

"Well, I got this power from this god and now I can't forget anything," I answered.

"Hey, can I get that kind of power?" Minako asked excitedly.

"Ask Philemon," I said simply.

"Oh, it's part of the test thingymajigger that you did that also got you the teleportation powers right?" I nodded to confirm. "Okay! I'll ask him later!"

I ruffled her hair at that. "Want me to come along?"

"I'll be okay nii-chan!" Minako smiled reassuringly before hopping over to presumably the Velvet Room with a bounce in her step.

I hope she does okay…

_Evening_

It had been a bit of time since I had seen Minako, partly because I had decided to teleport home instead of using my motorcycle. In secret of course, it wasn't like I wanted to draw attention to myself by doing that. Next thing I'll know there'll be rumours about me that I don't want. Hmph. After that, maybe my Shadow will appear if that rumour gets spread around enough. Okay, that one was an honest to goodness joke.

And very, very farfetched.

Unless there was something that happened in the past that I didn't know about, that also involved Personae… That's something that I'll have to ask the guys at the Velvet Room later. It is entirely possible that there were other Persona users in the past. If so, I wonder where they would have gone. I wonder if they're still alive… Something to wonder about.

Well… I hope that Minako gets through that trial okay. She'll definitely get hurt by the strong opponents in there. I did, and I was the same level as her… Not to mention I don't even know whether all of them got tougher or not. Either way, the powers that you gain from that are all truly worth it.

My head shot up from the counter as I heard the bell to the shop ring, and I began to look around frantically. Was it Minako? It felt like it was her SP signature but I couldn't quite tell since it felt a whole lot stronger than any other person that I would know, besides Richard anyways.

"Minato-nii?" Well, she sounded like Minako at least. The amount of power that I could feel and the Spiritual Pressure that I felt pressing against me was almost unfamiliar. I hadn't felt this amount of power for a very long time. Around about a decade in fact.

I looked up and gazed into her eyes. Minako's red eyes were glowing slightly, a dark crimson to match her already blood coloured irises. Other than that, she looked mostly the same. "Hey Minako," I smiled. "I guess it went really well, huh?"

"Yup, of course it did! Who do you take me for onii-chan?" She giggled. Her smile and the SP that I could feel in the area were just radiating huge amounts of confidence. Forget what I said about nothing else about her being different. A lot has changed about her in fact.

Maybe not quite as outward as her appearance, but her demeanour and abilities seemed to have changed quite a bit. She might have just been bubbly and cheerful before, but now she had this aura of confidence coming off her. I guess I just wouldn't get the same effect if I was doing that kind of test out of necessity and not for… fun and convenience. After that I did just kinda break out of a jail cell so yeah… Not the best things that followed.

"So, what did you get from it?" I asked with a soft smile.

After I asked Minako that she continued to relay how she went in each fight, the general conversations that went on between her and the gods, and finally her abilities.

It seemed that up against Izanagi, she had gotten Myriad Truths like I did. However the way that she had went in that fight was a lot different to the way I had beaten him. For me it was basically just throwing spells back and forth like a dangerous game of tennis before he could not handle my Armageddon spell.

She had gotten him after chipping down his overall health down with some good physical attacks and Ice spells after Eurydice used one of her more debilitating songs to slow him down and make him weaker. It was… a lot smarter than I would have expected. Minako's last words about her fight with Izanagi went something like: "I think your brother would be proud of you."

"Well, that's a bit embarrassing…" I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly before ruffling her hair. "But I'll tell you that what he said was true."

Minako giggled. "Thanks Minato-nii!"

She continued going on about the fights for a long while, well until it became a bit darker and more evening-like. The one thing that was different from all the powers that she had gotten was the power from Black Frost: She could share the energy that she had with the people around her.

Huh.

* * *

AN: Whoo, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Considering the update speed of the last chapter I think I picked up the pace a little bit. Maybe? :3

Anyways, don't you just love how Minako is connecting more with nii-chan? XD

I had fun writing the sweeter and more casual tone of this chapter, hell it even showed in the brief fight with the Fortune and Strength fight. Also, I hope some people liked what I did with the Fortune and Strength fight.

I thought that since Minato is more strongly associated (Fortune and fate, and his perseverance…) with those two it would make it better if I made it a bit… different. Hehe.

That aside, please tell me what you thought of the chapter! There were a lot of thoughts included in this chapter so yah.

I'll see you guys later and I'll appreciate it a lot if you guys would review! Sayoonara! 3


	34. Major Patchwork

_Dark Hour, Full Moon_

"Is this the last Shadow?" Minako asked. She might have seen my memories but it's not like you could get absolutely everything from that convoluted explanation for everything that I've been doing up until now. And that was one confusing explanation.

"Yeah, it is," I answered with a slight smile. I wasn't just smiling out of anticipation of the battle that was going to come up. But defeating this Shadow meant that I could meet up with Nyx.

There were still things that I was worrying about, of course. No plan of mine is ever fool-proof and this one was no exception. In fact, this was probably my craziest plan yet. Not to mention my longest running one and the most tiring one that I had ever been through. Though there was one thing for sure: I was nearing the last stretch of my long journey and I was damn well going to make the rest of it count. After that… I could finally take a good, long rest.

"Alright," Minako smiled. "Go get them nii-san!"

I nodded back and snapped my fingers, ending up again on the Moonlight Bridge. The air that filled this area was filled with the stench of rusty iron, as was the smell of blood. That scarlet liquid had replaced the once blue seas which were near stagnant as there was barely any wind during the Dark Hour.

Well… it was something I was long used to. After this long, I wasn't going to get squeamish from this smell. Especially when I had painted the alleys red with this stench before with my own hands…

I sighed and looked up to the sky for any sign of the Hanged Man Shadow. Glancing over the familiar sight of the yellowed moon, I finally found my target. A small black spot hovered in the distance, not above the bridge like I had expected. Hm…

Snapping my fingers again I teleported to the tower where the Hanged Man was, eyeing its form. Scanning momentarily, I tried to look out for the statues that held it up and… they were there. But they weren't on the ground like I had expected. They were actually suspended, in mid-air just below the Shadow. This is not going to be a fight that will let me get off easy. I can tell.

If this Hanged Man was the last part of Death's Shadow, it seemed to be reflective of how I felt about being chained down and not being able to do anything. Hmph. It doesn't matter to me right now. Right now, I just want to want to enjoy this fight.

"Let's go," I smiled before teleporting just in front of the Hanged Man's pale mask and getting ready to dig my sword deep into its head. However, my blade wasn't able to connect and soon enough I found a white statue slamming right into my chin, throwing my body back into the tower; hard.

Fuck, that actually hurt a bit. It must be a lot more powerful than I had been thinking. I'm more surprised that the building hadn't been damaged… Oh, there were a few cracks in the wall. Okay, that makes more sense. Wincing a little from the slight amount of pain, I teleported again, landing on top of its back.

Immediately, it tried to shake me off but I stayed strong. What I didn't realise was that the white statues were starting to close in on me. Damn, that's not good… I cast a Tetrakarn spell to cover my fists and I attempted to smash the statues as they came towards me.

Unlike before, when the Hanged Man was relying on the statues to keep it afloat this time the Hanged Man was manipulating them; almost as if he was manipulating Fate herself. Sounds just liked me. The Hanged Man wasn't the one hanging anymore. Fate was. I might change this meaning of mine.

There was something else, because I knew that the Hanged didn't always mean being caught between opposing forces. Honestly I didn't really want to admit it, but I just didn't want to let go. The Hanged Man's force was strong enough to at least scathe me a little, but considering how much power I actually have… It was quite a lot. I didn't want to let go of the emotions that were lighting the flame that I had for Nyx.

I chuckled to myself as I felt the Tetrakarn that I had on one of my fists break apart, my bare skin meeting cold marble as it began to push my hand back and the two other statues closed around my back and my side, trapping me.

Well… talk about a blunder on my part. I thought that I could run from the problems that I had at hand for a while but it seems painfully clear to me that they were poltergeists that were just not going to stop haunting me. Even with the support I was getting from Minako, it still wouldn't mean that the pain would go away.

It never would, even after it was all over.

I gritted my teeth roughly as I felt the closing in statues trying to crush my bones. "Orpheus…" I groaned out, trying to summon my first Persona as the jagged parts of the sitting figures on the statue started jutting into just under my rib cage. Come on…!

Orpheus did appear, but his form was a lot fainter than usual. An attempted Grydyne pushed the statues away from me momentarily, and I teleported out of the way of the retried attack on me. Somehow, I got out of the way but I still felt some dull throbbing in the back of my head.

I have had my strength falter before, but not this much...!

But why?

There was no time to dwell on the questions that I had, especially when the statues were coming after me again. I summoned Thanatos to block the stones with his sword, and thankfully he was powerful enough to slam some of them down into the Hanged Man's torso, some of them away in the other direction.

I think Thanatos may be the only Persona that I could really use. Orpheus was really weak when I used him, and Messiah might be the only other Persona that was powerful enough to be used. But even that chance was slim right now, considering how weak my mentality is right about now. Who knew that my thinking would seriously debilitate my power right in the middle of a fight? Well, I did but yeah…

A shrill shriek of pain from the Hanged Man Shadow as the statues made rough contact with its body rang out in the air, and within a moment's notice I was in front of his mask again and trying to score that hit that I wanted from earlier. A disturbance in the air was brought to my attention, and I tried to block the incoming statues with Thanatos again.

His sword clashed against one of the statues, however his back wasn't covered. Even if he had the coffin cape on his back it wasn't like it was much of a shield. The sneak attack crashed Thanatos' coffins into his back.

A shot of pain coursed through my body, and I gritted my teeth to keep myself from flinching too much. But seriously I might not have described it as much. But that freaking hurt! And Elizabeth's Omnipotent Orb was supposed to be working too… What the hell?

Why?

Any ideas Nyx?

…

The fuck? What the hell is happening!?

In all my thinking, I didn't notice that I was about to make a crash course meeting with the ground. I was inches from the hard surface before I snapped out of my thoughts and quickly used a faint Grydyne spell to slow me down, allowing me to pull out of my dive and land safely.

But damn, that was close. I can't contact Nyx… Why? The sound of something travelling at high speeds through the air brought my attention back to the incoming statues. Again, I tried to summon Thanatos, however when I did his form was flickering. It was like an image on a TV quivering on and off. Thankfully his brief appearance was enough to block back most of the statues, and I was able to jump out of the way.

This is getting to be really strange… Why am I getting to be so weak right now? It's not like this has happened before, now that I think about it. The only remotely similar thing that I remembered was during the… Strength and Fortune fight.

What.

I must have been thinking for too long again, because it wasn't long before stone met flesh and sent me flying towards another building. Ugh, this is just not going my way.

However this time, when my back slammed against the brick wall, I heard a sickening crack ring out. Must have broken something… and not long after that, a large amount of pain was sent coursing around my body. What the fuck!? And goddammit, it hurt! In what seemed like the longest time, I coughed out some blood. But what was so strange was that the red was seemingly diluted, and tainted by an ungodly amount of black and dark grey. Shadow Ichor.

Something else… something else has been affecting my power. But I don't know what!

I shrugged it off for now. I can think about this later, when a marble statue isn't looking to cave my stomach in. Shaking my head, I used a Diarahan to at least get rid of some of the pain and started running. Jumping. Running and jumping.

The statues were right on my tail, and I was doing my best to avoid them with my jumping as diversions. I tried to summon at least one of my swords, their sleek forms starting to take their places in my hands. I even managed to summon both Mukou and Meikai so that's a plus.

Jumping with my back to the wall where I was heading, I faced the incoming statues with my swords. Mukou Meikai wasn't made with just one Universe, but two. There was still a whole lot of power within the twin blades, even if mine was being weakened.

Stepping off the wall with a Double Up strength boost to help me, I charged blade-first into the marble statues and cut them down with a Deathbound attack. They weren't finished, no. But they were severely damaged, and that was enough of an opening for me to finally slice the offending marble statues into pieces.

Hopefully they'll stay down for a while. Knowing my luck, even the small pieces will start chasing after me now. Rolling my eyes at that thought, I teleported on top of the Hanged Man's torso again. I spied a Maya-like Shadow forming from red and black mist, no. Make that three. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

Immediately feeling a large spike of SP, I could tell from the spiritually charged air that there was something wrong. Trusting my instincts on that, I teleported to the roof of a building to avoid the Shadows.

To be sure, I saw a beam of energy come towards me… probably an Almighty attack or something. I threw up a Makarakarn, reinforced several times to reflect the attack. Well, the attack definitely dissipated once it hit my shield but it wasn't like it was reflected. Like it was supposed to. Well, I got rid of the atta—No, I didn't.

Just as soon as that beam was blocked, another beam was coming. Multiple ones in fact. It was clear to me that I couldn't just bounce these beams back like I wanted. Might as well take it to the source.

Let's try Omega Cluster. It might work since it isn't like an actual Persona power. It just seemed to work fairly well when used by one. It was only usable by Thanatos anyways. Well… I hope to Tartarus that this works. Why am I praying to Greek hell? At least that's actually a real thing.

Besides, the bugger's powerful.

After lightening up the situation within my mind, I went to teleport to the Hanged Man's head again with my palms charging with Dark energy. "Omega Cluster!"

With the shout of those words, an explosion of scarlet and black energy blocked the beams of Almighty energy from getting to me, also severely damaging the pale mask that was the Hanged Man's head. White glowing cracks appeared in the pale mask. If you don't think that's severe damage… Wow. Picky.

I teleported back to the building I was standing on before just in case it tried to deal some more damage to me. By now I was moving at least well enough that I didn't have to worry about the slight shivers of pain that travelled around my body from the still healing wound that I got from those statues. Damned statues.

Anyways, that move I just pulled seemed to be quite effective. Hopefully this will work again, because I want to finish this fight soon. I briefly pulled out the pocket watch that I had been keeping, seeing that I didn't have too long to finish this off.

Come on…

I'll finish this off and come back home. Not too much longer, Minako…

As I finished off the train of thought that was running in my mind, I felt a surge of power rise up within me. It wasn't one that I had felt before in my life, but there was still something very familiar about it. All too familiar.

…Minako?

Pushing that to the back of my mind for the time being, I teleported once more for what I hoped would be the final attack. I thought I felt more SP gathering in my Omega Cluster attack than usual, but I had brushed it off once more in favour of thinking about all of this after the fight.

The explosion of red and black energy that was produced from my Omega Cluster attack was bigger than I had remembered it, even for the sheer power that this attack alone, without any boosts had. But somehow… I felt this was definitely the end.

Once the Dark spell had come into contact with the Hanged Man's mask, and engulfed the rest of his body, his form disintegrated into the familiar red and black mist. Once that happened…

The stifling air of the Dark Hour disappeared and returned to the cool air and white moon that you would see all the time, had the Dark Hour not existed. Frankly, the change of atmosphere was a pretty big relief to me. But of course… that didn't change the fact that I was still in the air.

High above the city.

Freefalling.

Uh…

I snapped my fingers and teleported back home quickly.

I collapsed onto my bed as soon as I was changed.

Damn… this night was rough. But I wonder… why didn't SEES come? The Dark Hour had been over by the time I finished off the Hanged Man, and even if none of them could teleport like I could or fly it wasn't like they couldn't fire long range spells or something.

Maybe like in that fight… something else was changing the way things were going in that battle…

I'll also have to ask Nyx about this. This is really strange…

For now, sleep.

_Morning_

"Morning Minato," Minako chirped happily as she roused me from sleep with her constant shaking. I think we really have switched waking dispositions. She was up first, and I was the sleepy one again. Well, I guess the fights have been getting harder, and I have been cutting it close in regards to the times when the Dark Hour disappeared.

"Hey Minako," I replied, trying to keep the irritation of being woken out of my voice. I thought I heard a faint chuckle and giggle in my mind, but I pushed it back for now. I'm going ot have a discussion with those two primordials later…

"Great, you're awake! You usually wake up earlier though. Still tired?" she asked with a slight smile and a small laugh.

I nodded before sitting up and letting out a sigh. "Yeah… last night was pretty rough, and it was a tough fight…" I grimaced as I remembered how I felt so weighed down and without any hope or determination. It was frightening, frankly. If there was something I was afraid of now, it was losing the powers that I had. The ones that I used to protect my friends. And the ones that I used to try and keep everyone safe and unhurt.

"Well, you won in the end so that's good! I was getting worried about you since your SP signature was fading while you were out," Minako smiled with a bit of a worried glance. "So, I used the power Black Frost gave me to give you a boost."

So it was Minako… I thought it was her, but I wasn't completely sure.

"Though… I am feeling a bit sleepy now," Minako yawned. It looks like her power to share her energy with others seems to affect her directly as well. So if she had wanted to give me all of her energy, I would gamble that… I shook my head as I thought about it. I doubt she would be stupid enough to do that. She's smart.

"Then I guess we both better take it easy," I grinned as I stood up, shrugging off the sleep that was still lingering on my tired shoulders.

"Yup!" Minako cheered before skipping off into the hallway that led to the counter out front. Probably to get something to eat. Unfortunately while I'm out changing timelines and saving the world, school waits for no man. Or woman.

Groggily getting my uniform on, I walked out of my room and to school after grabbing an Up and Go.

_Afternoon_

I sighed as I sat through Edogawa sensei's long and painfully boring lecture about magic. I wasn't even bothering to take notes, especially for this class. Of all these classes, this one is the one that would least benefit me later in life. Besides, Toriumi sensei's class was the one that we were supposed to be having but… apparently not.

Goddammit, teach the class you're supposed to be teaching!

I was so out of it that my chin met the desk, and my eyes fell into darkness as I tuned out of the lecture. It's times like these I wonder why I even went back to do this when I'm going to have to sit through such mundane stuff. Hell, Shinji was even taking a nap!

And Akihiko.

_Lunchtime_

Thank Thanatos, the bell actually rang. I thought it was going to take another hour!

**_"Wow. I was so bored by that lecture, even I fell asleep,"_** Nyx yawned. It sounded like she was getting up from a nice, long nap. I need one of those.

_"I know,"_ I groaned as I rubbed the sleep that was starting to settle on my eyelids. _"How've you been?"_ I asked with a tired sigh, at least trying to sound a little cheerful. After that lecture, I don't even know how I was able to pull off that tone.

**_"I've been alright. The one I'm worried about is you, you know?"_**Nyx replied with a nonchalant tone in her voice. **_"After last night, I was getting particularly worried."_**

I sighed to myself before saying mentally, _"I was worried about you too. I was cut off from you for a bit, somehow."_

**_"Same. I couldn't contact you, no matter what I did,"_**Nyx said sadly. But thinking about it…

How could she not contact me? She's one of the most powerful beings since ever, and she couldn't even do something as simple as contacting me through my mind? And I was powerful enough to do something like that as well. No matter what I did, I couldn't contact her! It was just… it was… impossible. With the Universe Arcana and Death, I'd think that kind of thing was easy!

**_"When I tried, some dark force just covered up our contact link…"_** she said with a bit of a wondering tone. She didn't know what it was either? Huh… **_"If there was anything I had to say, it would be the fact that the force was familiar… eerily so."_**

Familiar… This would warrant some investigation, but I have no idea what the hell we could even go on at this point. I mean, what do we have? The fact that my blood is becoming infested with Shadow Ichor and that Nyx feels that the dark forces are familiar… Nah. I can't find anything.

But if there was anything I was worried about, it was that the feelings that I had when Philemon forced my Shadow out before were… they were about the same. However, there was something that had to be said about the way that they were surfacing. It was being forced out all in one go. It was almost as if… something was siphoning from my negative thoughts and…

Weird.

It's way stranger now that I think about this. There's no other thing that I would know of that could be able to… Wait. Philemon? I know it couldn't be him, since I had broken off from him and all. He mentioned something. Something that I don't quite remember. When I get home, I'm totally asking Minako if she can take me to the Velvet Room.

_After School_

Deciding to take the long way for once and walk after discreetly teleporting my motorcycle nearby home, I found myself walking just by the area behind Port Island station. I had enough sense not to go there again, and I kept walking by.

Yet… there was something wrong. Something very… very wrong.

A stifling, water-like atmosphere was settling around me and I wasn't able to sense anything through SP detection. What's happening? But again, there was something about it that was all too familiar. It was like the Hanged Man fight all over again.

I even as I tried looking around for whatever was doing this, I just could not find anything. SP, or otherwise. I was looking away from the direction of the alleyway at one time, and that was when I felt something cover my mouth and I breathed in to try and get back my lost breath…

…

Something jolted me awake, something cold and wet. Icy water?

That's what it felt like anyways.

My eyes fluttered open to a whole mixture of browns, blacks and greys. Looking up at the sky, it hadn't been that long since I had… passed out. My mind's eye was still pretty blurry, and I was barely making out the shapes that towered around me. And… a single figure amongst the mess of dull colours.

Not only that, but a familiar voice. It was a gruff and low voice that I knew only too well. "Hey, are you alright?" Shinjiro asked.

My vision finally becoming clear, I nodded and replied, "Yeah… I was knocked out by something," I sighed. I tried to stand myself up, and as I did I saw a whole mass of knocked out people behind my axe-wielding friend. He was probably the one who did that. "But what are you doing here? You don't usually come down around here, or at all actually."

"To come and save you, what did you think?" Shinjiro replied.

Well, I guess. But honestly there was something about this that felt too just conveniently played out. Not to mention I was still feeling that strange atmosphere around. Hm… but it's Shinjiro. He might not trust me as much, but he's still pretty reliable. I know that much.

"Nothing much," I shrugged. Hm… now that this is all hitting me, there was a cloth involved when I passed out. Chloroform I guess. It was a classic way to do something like that. But why? It's not like there's anything that interesting about me that they could find out just at a mere glance.

"Heh, that's like you. Dodging every question."

Huh?

Pushing back my current thoughts, I looked up to Shinjiro's voice. That… that isn't something that he says… He might be blunt, but he doesn't push something like this… Now I knew something was up.

I looked into Shinjiro's eyes, finding them to be completely normal. But still… there's something really wrong…

"What?" I replied, trying to test the waters and find out exactly what was going on.

"You know, you always give everyone vague answers. You never tell us exactly what is going on when we can see that there is something wrong," Shinjiro continued with an almost sarcastic tone in his voice. "You know, because friends are supposed to trust each other?"

He chuckled darkly. I now had an inkling of what was wrong with Shinjiro. Or… something that I did wrong that eventually messed Shinjiro up. No…

"Maybe you really like keeping us in mystery, and maybe you like keeping us in the dark all the time… You know, leaving Mitsuru hurt and everyone else behind…" he said with a smirk. "You know what the only thing I regret now is?"

His words were driving a real drill deep into my heart I listened to his words. I knew that I really didn't like keeping secrets from everyone, but now knowing that this what Shinjiro actually thought about what I was going… "W-What?"

"That I didn't do anything about it before," Shinjiro answered simply as a shadow fell over his eyes. "You fucking bastard."

Silence. Just silence.

I wasn't sure what to do now. I couldn't possibly retaliate. I still thought of him as a friend, but at the same time now that he's said that… I mean, this can't possibly be the Shinjiro that I know! He wouldn't, he doesn't say that! I thought I heard Shinjiro beginning to insult me again, time after time… But his words were just drowned out in the quiet that reigned in my mind as I was wrapped up in my own thoughts.

"Are you done?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, just about," Shinjiro answered with a smirk. "Damn, that felt good."

I sighed before walking out of the alley, leaving Shinjiro.

"Another thing that you always do though…" Shinjiro's voice dropped to a low growl. "You always ignore us when we ask questions about you."

I sighed before walking on.

I heard something swish in the air, and I quickly turned around with Mukou Meikai summoned in my grip and my crystal blades clashed against an axe. Yet strangely, I was actually getting pushed back by the fierce surprise attack.

My feet were starting to get caught on the rough cobblestone path of the alley, and I could swear that if there was any more pressure on me than there already was I would have tripped over.

Until I slipped. I didn't realise before, and maybe it was because I was so accustomed to the smell and the alleys were pretty much dripping with this dank stench but there was blood everywhere on the ground. Just before my body was about to collide against the stained ground, I used a Grydyne to keep me from falling and pushed myself back towards Shinjiro with more force than ever before.

Shinjiro snarled viciously before trying to get another hit on me with his axe. I was ready for the strike this time, and I dodged out of the way this time. It was a much smarter idea than trying to stand up against Shinjiro's powerful attacks. Speaking of which, they're a lot more powerful than usual… I know that normally I would be able to stand up against Shinjiro's attacks without much effort.

Is this a result of the interference?

Whatever it was, it probably is because of it!

I kept running out of the alley way, still dodging Shinjiro's vicious attacks. But what I didn't expect while my back was turned… Hard pieces of earth struck hard into my back, and I fell forward into a puddle of blood which I soon noticed was pouring out of one of the 'unconscious' people that were knocked against the ground. Another thing… that actually hurt, a lot more than it should have… why?

Slipping once more on the wet surface of blood, I looked back to see Shinjiro had held me back with his foot, and that was why I fell. Gritting my teeth, I used a Tarukaja to help me break free of Shinjiro's hold on me, wiping off some of the sticky red blood as I ran and kept running.

I wasn't long before I heard another disturbance in the air, but anticipating what it was already, I jumped out of the way of the rocks that were coming. They attack barely missed me, thankfully. Considering how much last time had actually hurt…

"Running away like always…" Shinjiro muttered before I felt something… something very wrong in the air. "God's Hand!"

A split second after that thought, I found myself slammed against the floor once more and staining my already bloody clothes with a great amount of pain shooting through my body. I should've seen that coming… I quickly scrambled up onto my feet once more, hoping to outrun Shinjiro and the feelings of dread that were crawling upon on my shoulder and weighing me down.

How am I going to get out of here?

I kept asking myself, desperately asking Nyx and Tartarus for help. It was clear to me that whatever feelings I was harbouring, physically… They were weighing me down and I just couldn't do anything that was at least going to help me get out faster. I didn't want to use my teleportation ability, seeing as I still wasn't sure about letting my friends see my powers.

I'm on my own for now…

Sighing, trying to ignore the stench of iron in the air I kept running, running and running…

The last attack from Shinjiro that stopped me in my track was this; "Akasha Arts!"

Shinjiro's Persona, Castor appeared and it was a few moments later that for the last time I was knocked towards the ground and landed in another puddle of scarlet liquid. He was only a few feet from me when I tried to scramble up again, but I wasn't quick enough to get away.

He tripped me over again as I tried to get back up. My face was soon in a terse meeting with the cold and red ground again, but this time the breath I had been holding was knocked out of my chest and I didn't have enough time to recover, both my breath and my stance.

Shinjiro picked me up by my bloodied collar, seemingly not caring about the sticky red that was starting to cover his hand as he did that. The gaze that Shinjiro held in his eye was cold and the uncaring kind. It bored deep into my mind, and a cruel smirk slowly started to crawl onto his face.

All the time as I looked into his eyes, I was shouting to myself that this wasn't the Shinjiro that I knew, that I know. Yet… there was something about the way that he was acting that I just could not shake. Something that told me that this was all him…

He lowered me to the ground, but not before punching me against the wall and caving my stomach in, good and hard. The question why this was actually starting to hurt was ringing in my mind, mingling with the thoughts I had about whether this was actually Shinjiro doing this to me himself or by influence from some external source.

Another question was starting to form in my head. Why couldn't I just fight back?

Shinjiro rammed his knee into my stomach, and I coughed out some blood from the attack. I immediately tried to regain my breath and struggled out of his range, until he grabbed me again and drove my chest right into the brick wall.

I know I could easily beat Shinjiro if I tried… but something about this situation was just making me weaker. Not only that, but I couldn't, and I didn't want to hurt Shinjiro…

Ugh… goddammit! You idealistic dumbass!

Okay, just one last try to get out of here without teleportation… Shinjiro was about to throw another punch at me, but I struggled to catch his fist in my palm. I turned him around and shoved him away from the direction opposite the exit which was growing progressively nearer as I ran as fast as I possibly could at that time.

Quickly casting an illusion over me and not even bothering to check where my bag went, I teleported back home still out of breath and in pain. Just then, Minako came into the room.

"Minato? You're home late…" Minako said with a worried tone.

"Yeah… I didn't want to but… something… happened," I tried to explain, but not before taking off the illusion that I had over my clothes.

Minako gasped in surprise. I guess it would be surprising… "What did!?" she asked with a panicked tone.

"Well… to put it bluntly… I got beat up by Shinjiro." I sighed, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly and with a slight smile.

"Wipe that smile off your face onii-chan, this is serious!" Minako shouted.

Silence permeated the area for a while before I sighed once more. "Alright…" I conceded.

"Good," Minako replied sternly. "Diarahan…" she muttered, causing a healing wave to wash over my bruises.

"Thanks Minako," I smiled before checking if there were any missed spots. It didn't seem like there were any at least.

"You should probably get changed Minato… We don't need okaa-san finding you like that," Minako sighed with a straight face, though I swore I almost heard a slight chuckle in her voice as she said that. "She'll be a fuss bucket to no end if she does!"

Hm, I guess so. "Oh right! And a shower dude!" she shouted. I smiled a little at that before walking to my room and quickly getting doing just that. Not to say that I wouldn't have done those things, but I don't know whether I would have done them straight away if she didn't remind me.

_Evening_

_"Nyx?"_ I asked.

**_"Yeah?"_** she replied simply. I guess she must've been pretty frustrated that the same thing happened again. And probably sad that she couldn't help me.

_"Are you alright?"_ I sighed, drumming my fingers on the counter. I seriously doubted that anyone would be coming soon, and thankfully I could tell now since my SP senses weren't blocked this time.

**_"Well, I've just been thinking about this force that has been hindering your abilities," _**Nyx replied with a heavy tone.

_"Come up with anything yet?"_ I asked. I kinda doubted it with the painfully small amount of things that we knew about the mysterious force. Only that it seemed to be dead set on hindering my abilities and my emotions and… that it seemed to be affecting my friends too.

Oh man… Talk about biting something bigger than I can chew off right now. This could be beginning to get out of hand, in fact I was almost sure that it was already. **_"No… It's unfortunate, but I don't recognise it well enough,"_** Nyx replied with a sigh.

_"It's alright… I just hope this all works out soon enough," _I said with an exasperated tone.

**_"Yes… this isn't a situation that I like either,"_** she replied.

"Minato, you need a break?" Minako asked with a chipper tone as she skipped into the room.

"You don't mind?" I raised an eyebrow at that.

"Nope! You've been looking pretty tired since earlier. You probably need some rest before it gets any worse!" Minako laughed as she gently put her hand on my shoulder. "Come on, you're going to bed."

…Okay, with the tone she was using I couldn't exactly refuse. I smiled before trudging off to my room, crashing onto my bed with a thud once I was in my room.

_After School_

Okay, good things… I am not going to take the long way again and get attacked by someone else… It's not something I would like to make a regular thing. Minako got worried once so I don't exactly want that same thing to happen again. Minako agreed, so that was that.

Shinji wasn't here today. I wonder why? I had thought about asking either Mitsuru or Akihiko but right now, I wasn't looking to get attacked. Again. And like always. Shrugging it off, I walked out of the classroom and teleported out of school.

I went straight back to Paulownia mall and was about to go back home but something caught my eye. Something that I just couldn't ignore.

I found myself following a familiar, cyan blue butterfly to the small alley under Mandragora. The blare of music coming from above was familiar as always, and the way that the vibrations shook the walls was the same.

Once the butterfly passed through the door, I heard a small 'click.' It sounded as if the door was opened up so that I could get in today. Philemon must want me for something, and I him.

I slowly turned open the knob of the door, the bright light that emanated from the Velvet Room engulfing my vision. It was just the same as I remembered…

Once I came into the room, I was greeted by the sight of the one and only Philemon. There was no-one else but him. He must've wanted to talk to me in private I guess. I sat myself down in the lyre-back chair, keeping my gaze straight at Philemon.

"I'm glad that you came," Philemon said. If I didn't know any better, there was probably a smile behind that mask of his. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Yeah… I have something to ask as well," I replied coolly. If there was anyone that I thought could at least tell me about the situation… it was Philemon.

Said guide chuckled at that. "Well, even more reason for you to have come," he replied with amusement in his voice. Yeah, he was probably still smiling behind that mask of his. "Well, I was just going to tell you a little about someone who seems to be troubling you."

"You're still watching over me?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. There wasn't really any need to, especially since I had broken off from Philemon a long time ago.

"I watch over all of mankind, and that includes you," he replied. While he said that, I could very well see that gentle smile that he would probably have on his face. Geez, sometimes that mask is just really frustrating. "Now… this force that has been troubling you…"

"I believe that this is partly the work of an ancient being which I might have mentioned to you all those years ago," Philemon said. "But you were quite enraged, and you probably didn't care too much about it at the time."

Despite those words, I could hear in his voice that he wasn't really angry. Hm… more like amusement. "This being is… Nyarlathotep," he said with a serious tone.

"What's up about this Nyarlathotep guy?" I asked. As far as I knew, I honestly didn't know this one. Like Philemon said, I think I must've been too angry to really notice. It was just him saying 'bet' and it just got me real raged.

"Nyarlathotep is an extremely powerful being, made up from the chaos within mankind's hearts," Philemon replied. Oh damn… as soon as that explanation came, I almost knew exactly what was happening now. But, I waited for the rest of his explanation before asking anything. "He is also the one who first created Shadows."

He… He created Shadows!? That's… "His power comes from the darkness within man, which is why he is so powerful," Philemon continued to explain. No wonder… That sounds like something that would even be hard for me of all people to handle. "Nyarlathotep is also able to control and manipulate Shadows as he pleases."

"So really, he could use my Shadow and other people's Shadows?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied. "I have come to the conclusion that Nyarlathotep has been influencing your friends as well. That friend of yours, Shinjiro… He wouldn't dare attack you normally. I believe that was the work of Nyarlathotep."

"I thought so…" I muttered. "He must have been controlling his Shadow to attack me."

Philemon nodded at that. "I think I see… But why would Nyarlathotep do this?" I asked. Sure, he might have been some weird chaotic being, but from what it sounds… he has a will of his own.

"I suppose it is part of the bet that Nyarlathotep and I made. This is an experiment… that neither of us were supposed to interfere in. But being the chaos that he is, he continues to interfere through the works of Shadows and other beings," Philemon said with a regretful tone. "However, I do find it a bit strange that he is targeting only you specifically," he muttered.

"Huh?" I asked.

"I feel as if something else, greater than even Philemon has been at work as well…" Philemon replied, almost as if he was still questioning the reason as well.

"Well there's one thing that Nyx has said to me…" I said quietly. At this, Philemon looked up from his musings. "She said that the force that that was messing this whole this up was… familiar to her."

"Familiar?" Philemon asked.

"Yeah… I don't know how or why, but that's what she said," I replied simply. Philemon appeared to be mulling the situation over. I wonder what he's thinking… "Does that tell you anything?"

"Well, I have my suspicions, but I'm not quite sure," Philemon sighed heavily. "If I think of anything worth noting, then I'll summon you again."

"Alright," I nodded before getting out of the chair and walking over to the door. "How's Elizabeth?"

Philemon sighed before answering, "She's been alright lately… but I fear something may have happened to her."

I nodded before leaving the Velvet Room, still wondering what could be wrong with Elizabeth. This is not normal…

"Oh hey Minato!" Minako chirped happily as she saw me coming out from the alley. "Whatcha doing in the VR? I thought you couldn't get in without me."

I chuckled a little before replying, "Philemon had some stuff to talk to me about. I'll tell you about it later."

"Alright!" Minako cheered before skipping off to the Velvet Room.

* * *

AN: *sighs* I'm so sorry for the late update, but I got stuck with this horrible thing called writer's block. Oh, it was going to happen soon.

Welp, for those who read up a lot about myths I've actually given out a lot of clues already. If you do come up with something though, try to keep it to yourself! Ehe, if you turn out right this could end up really spoilery. =P

Anyways, hope you guys like the chapter. It was a bit shorter than some of my others, but… things happen. Like lack of motivation. Now to work on Days of Darkness…

Please review and tell me your thoughts! Sayoonara for now!


	35. The Best Of Gifts

_After School_

"Mitsuru? What's up?" I asked with as cheerful a voice as possible. She would usually at least regard me, even if it was slight. I could tell. Something was going on.

Moments of silence passed, only the light whisper of the wind in my ear. Things would have seemed at least cordial to passer by people, but there was something else that I could tell was steadily freezing the situation's atmosphere. Something that gave me the chills, and I knew that it was at least familiar, similar to when Shinjiro was talking down to me in that alley.

The next words that I saw come from her mouth sent my mind reeling, almost unable to comprehend what she said. But, I did. And I didn't want it that way. It wasn't something that I was able to stop, and the words that pierced my heart were unlike anything that I had heard before. They were… they were so cold… Devoid of all warmth that I could at least tell.

I sighed and said goodbye to Mitsuru before walking off, those same words ringing in my head the same way that Death lingered on my doorstep before; haunting, and perpetually just behind me, over my shoulder.

If only happiness could last for a bit longer…

Keeping up a cheerful façade until I had reached my room at home I buried my face in my pillow, mentally cursing myself for the things that I had missed. I slipped my earphones onto my ears, blocking out everything that was happening around me.

There was a reason why I wore my headphones before that wasn't for listening to music. Sometimes I would just leave them on without switching any music on, and they would just stay on my ears. It was me saying to the world that I wanted everything blocked out.

And yet, whenever I had them on, all they did was amplify the thoughts in my head, rising on volume and in quantity. When that happened, I could almost swear that I was going mad from all of my darker thoughts…

And my memories…

Why am I not telling Minako anyways? I should tell her this stuff… but… Why not? Just why?

I said that I would tell her, and she would at least try to help me. But it was the words again… I never thought that I could really be affected by words like this before now. Normally I just took them in stride.

I sighed and closed my eyes, my earphones still hanging on my ears, no music playing… at all.

_Morning_

**_"Minato? Minato…"_** Huh? That sounded like Nyx…

I opened my eyes to see… Holy fuck. "What are you doing here?"

Nyx was right here. In front of me. Why? And… how? **_"I want you to take me out on a date. You can do that much, right Minato-kun?"_** she replied with a smile. A date? I hadn't taken anyone out on a date for a while… Not even Nyx… this'll actually be her first time if I said 'yes'. Though, I would pretty much be a total jerk to say no to Nyx of all people.

"I suppose… But why now?" I asked.

**_"I can't stand seeing you like this… come on. You need a change of pace, obviously,"_** she smiled slightly. **_"And before you ask how I'm here right now… well it just takes a lot of power for me to do this. It's just for one day. Anymore and I wouldn't be able to take you to that other dimension."_**

Just for today? Well… it is Christmas eve I guess. "I… I see. Then, just let me get ready," I replied wearily. Nyx nodded and went outside. Or at least… I think she went outside. I don't know.

A few minutes later I came out with my blue hoodie, white long sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans. Geez… I haven't worn this combination in a while. My musings were quickly interrupted as my gaze landed on Nyx. I guess I just didn't notice before since I was stuck in my thoughts again but…

Oh my Thanatos…

Her long raven-black hair which always seemed to be down was actually up in a ponytail, however there were some locks of hair which were left out and hanging, framing her face. Her cyan eyes were shining bright as usual, yet there was something about them that seemed a lot different than when I saw her in my mindscape. I think it was this strange shine in them that made it seem a whole lot different.

She wore a black tank-top to contrast her snow-like complexion, and a cream leather jacket over it. Nyx had the idea to go with a denim skirt that was about knee-length and some white stockings to keep her warm. I almost didn't notice them the first time that I had looked her over because it was almost the same colour as her skin. Lastly were the dark-grey flats. Overall… she just looked perfect.

"Wow… you really dressed up…" I managed to say.

Nyx giggled before saying, **_"And I haven't seen you wear that in a long time… come on! I'm not going to be waiting for all the snow to melt and the seasons to come back before we go out you know."_**

Has she been learning from someone? I'm positive that Mitsuru has never acted like this before, in fact… neither has Minako… or is this all her? "Alright, alright…" I chuckled before taking her by the hand and leading her out.

Minako was asleep, and I can't sense the rest of anyone important actually going out. It's just the two of us this time… "And if someone else comes, we run."

**_"Good thing I'm wearing flats instead of high heels then, right?"_** Nyx replied playfully.

"Well actually if you were, I think I would have carried you bridal style away from them," I grinned. Nyx's expression fell into a frown as she realised what she had just missed.

**_"Carry me anyway?"_** she said with a childish-voice. Eh… um…

"Alright, but only because it's you," I smiled.

I just realised… I was actually getting really into this already. Why? Not that I'm minding but I thought getting more motivation to do anything would have taken a lot longer. Nyx, the things you do to me, I swear…

**_"I have my own personal prince to carry me away into the distance if an angry God tries to whisk me away?"_**she giggled. No… this was definitely all her. I knew it this time. She was actually making some slight references to Greek mythology… but then again she is one of the Titans… I think that's why.

"No…" I smiled, bringing a confused expression onto Nyx's face. "I wouldn't just whisk you away… if through by any chance of fate I would go all the way to Tartarus just to bring you back to the surface."

Nyx laughed a little at that. She must've gotten the very obvious reference to Orpheus' journey to the Underworld from that. **_"Is that a line you use often? I swear I've heard it before."_**

"Well, Orpheus is one of my Personae, remember?" I grinned.

**_"Oh, I see… I recall that musician saying something along those lines when he was trying to rescue Eurydice… a valiant effort,"_** she nodded. **_"Before I probably wouldn't have cared… but now I do,"_** Nyx giggled.

I had to chuckle a little at that statement. It would probably be true. Before she didn't really care as much but now she does. But then again, she has been with me for the longest time… I can't even remember the exact amount of years but yeah…

Now that I think about it…

I tried not to show the fact that I had frozen up as I had just remembered something. I think I better figure that out later though…

"Yeah… probably not," I smiled slightly. "Come on. Where do you wanna go first?"

**_"Hagakure?"_** Nyx asked. Hm, I should have expected… I have a feeling that even my metabolism isn't going to save me for this day…

"Alright. But next time, don't ask. Your wish is my command, Night Queen," I smirked a little. Nyx nodded dumbly at that before smiling.

**_"Okay, okay…"_** she replied.

With that, I took her hand and took her over to the train station. If this was going to be a date, I was gonna do this properly. While we took off over the Moonlight Bridge over to the strip mall over in Iwatodai, Nyx was watching the water and buildings go by.**_ "You know how you always used to tell me that you loved how the city looked when you were passing by on the train before?"_**

I glanced over at her before nodding slightly. **_"I finally get to see it for myself now… It really is beautiful…"_** she said quietly. I smiled a little at that. I did tell her before about it. There was this part on the ride and it felt like you were gliding over the ocean…

"Glad you like it… Though this is kinda dismal weather for it. It's nicer when it's sunny, that way you can see the light reflecting off the waves…" I gave a mirthful smile. Right now, the skies were just greyed over, and there was hardly any sunlight. Though, I expected it to be like that in winter. It would have been even nicer in spring.

**_"It's fine… I think I wouldn't mind. I don't think it would make a difference since I'm with you,"_** she giggled.

"If you say so, Nyx-chan," I replied.

Once the train had stopped at Iwatodai station, we both got off quickly and headed straight towards the strip mall like Nyx wanted to. **_"Wow, the place is pretty big… I think I wanna take a look around when we finish eating."_**

If we finish eating, that is. "Sure, I'd be happy to show you around," I smiled. I took her hand and we made for a leisurely walk over to my favourite ramen shop. Or well… the only ramen shop here but yeah.

I lifted the drapes over our heads as we entered Hagakure, the chef giving me a shout out as I did. "Hey Minato-kun! Welcome! And welcome to the pretty lady you have with you!" Oh geez… I should've known he would mention her. I turned to look at Nyx's reaction, and I could swear her cheeks were shimmering a little bit. Aw…

I chuckled a little at that before taking a seat with her at the bar section, ordering my usual for both of us, seeing as Nyx wasn't really sure what to get. **_"Oh yeah, you told me about that membership thing that you had here,"_** she smiled, breaking her pair of chopsticks apart.

"Yeah. I usually get the same thing, since the secret ramen's the best on the menu. Well… in my opinion anyways," I smiled. Triple Dan noodles for the win.

**_"Oh, I see. That makes sense,"_** Nyx said. **_"Anyways… itadakimasu!"_**

After I too said 'itadakimasu' we both began to dig in silently. Nyx was eating it quite quickly, though somehow she wasn't making a mess of herself either. Talk about pro-ness. I had always said to her that it's good courtesy to eat hot food before it gets cold and to finish the whole serving.

Hm. She's really been learning a lot of stuff about the world around me now that I had actually been telling her about this kind of stuff. "So… how long you been with her? I haven't seen you with her before," I heard the chef Takeshi whisper over to me.

"Oh, for a pretty long time… It just never really got the chance to bring her anywhere until now," I replied quietly.

"Hoho, I see… well bring her over more often. She's a good customer," Takeshi replied heartily. I looked over at Nyx to find her carefully laying her chopsticks on top of her bowl. Well… that was fast.

"Sure Takeshi-san," I chuckled before drinking the last bit of soup down.

"You ready to go Nyx?" I asked, standing up.

**_"Yeah… that was good,"_**Nyx smiled.

"Glad you liked it… I wouldn't have wanted to ruin the hype that I had put up for this place for so long, right?" I grinned.

**_"No, of course not. That would just be disappointing indeed,"_** she replied.

Before seeing off Takeshi-san I laid a couple of bills on the counter and walked out. "So where to next?" I asked Nyx.

**_"Hm… why don't you choose this time?"_** she suggested. Well… alright?

"If you're sure…" I said slowly, only receiving a sure nod in response. Hm… Thanatos, this is hard. I just don't really want to bore her… "Book-on I guess…"

**_"That seems oddly familiar…"_** Nyx mused before shrugging it off. **_"Alright, let's go!"_**

After finding our ways to the bookstore and manga café, Nyx exclaimed as she realised something. **_"This is where Ryoji took some of his dates!"_** she almost shouted.

"Eh? Really?" I wondered.

**_"Yes, I'm positive,"_** Nyx said surely.

"Well… okay then," I chuckled before saying, "Are we still going in then?"

**_"U-Um… yeah, let's go,"_** Nyx replied.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," I smiled, giving her hand a little reassuring squeeze. With that she had seemed to calm down at least, and we walked inside. I didn't go to Book-on very often, but when I did it was usually to look for some manga.

**_"Huh… seems like I thought like it would be. But why are we here?" _**Nyx asked. **_"It's not like I really read."_**

"I guess not… but there was one thing that I wanted to show you which I thought was kinda funny," I replied.

**_"Well… alright. Lead the way,"_** Nyx said, gesturing me to lead her.

I took her by the hand and we walked over to the manga section, in the letter for 'p'. After some looking, I finally found the book that I was looking for and brought it over to show Nyx. "Here it is…" I showed it to her, the cover of the book facing up.

**_"Wow… where and how did you find this?"_** Nyx asked with an incredulous tone.

"I'm not really sure myself, but something just told me to go here and then… poof. I found it," I replied. Nyx gently took the book from my hand and began to flick through some of the pages.

**_"That is seriously creepy… What kind of God would ever want to plant this kind of book here?"_** she mumbled, stopping on a few pages to look at the illustrations and read some of the texts.

"I dunno… could be the stars or a prank," I said simply.

**_"Well, whoever did this obviously doesn't have anything better to do…"_** Nyx muttered, turning back to the front cover to look at the artist of the manga. **_"It was written by… Shuuji Sogabe…"_**

"Yeah… I don't get it. But that's all I wanted to show you… from what I know I think there are more volumes to this series," I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

**_"I'm not that interested in finding the rest, because that seriously creeped me out,"_** Nyx rubbed her temples.**_ "Next thing I know, there's going to be a story about someone who's a total bastard who takes pleasure in killing people and gets to be a total jerk about it."_**

"What? And then he falls in love with the one person he doesn't attack? Sounds like a recipe for a pretty weird love story," I sighed. "What would be even creepier is if the same person who put this book here was somehow also having a hand in that story as well. Total mindfuck there."

**_"Yes… that would be pretty crazy," _**Nyx agreed. **_"Well, enough dawdling here. I want to go back to Paulownia Mall…"_**

"Okay then Nyx," I smiled, leading her out of the store.

The trip back was the same, however when we entered the mall it seemed there were a lot more people around. I wonder if they're setting something up? Anyways… "Where did you wanna go Nyx?"

I looked up at the sky, finding that there were splashes of orange starting to spread across the sky. Looks like we've been out for a lot longer than I had anticipated. But if it's with Nyx, I don't think I would mind…

**_"I wanted to take a look at some of the stuff at Be Blue V… Might buy something or whatever,"_** she said with a nonchalant tone.

"Hm… alright then," I nodded. Be Blue V wasn't something I was expecting… but okay.

Passing by the people that were setting stuff up in the mall, Nyx and I walked over to the store. After we were greeted by the salesperson, asked if we needed help and we politely refused, Nyx immediately set to looking around.

She had pretty much wandered off, and I was left to my lonesome. Hm… it's really been a long time since I've done something like this… really. I sighed inwardly. I owe a lot of things to Nyx that I just couldn't be more grateful for, even if in the end… our bond will probably be scattered to the wind. But it would be worth it… right?

I must have been concentrating on my thoughts for a long time that I never even noticed Nyx waving her hand in front of me. **_"Come on sleepyhead. I don't need you being all pensive and stuff on our official first date you know,"_** she pouted a little.

"Ah… sorry…" I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, feeling something rubbing at the back of my head as I did so. Weird… I didn't have anything in my hand earlier. "Let's go?" I asked.

**_"Yeah… I couldn't really find anything I liked,"_** she said a bit sadly. **_"Come on! I think I noticed something going on in the mall when we walked in earlier."_**

"Alright, alright…" I grinned, following out after her, but not before catching a glimpse of what was in my hand. Holy… "_Messiah… Orpheus… are you guys up to something?"_ I asked suspiciously.

**"No, not at all,"** Orpheus said simply, while Messiah just didn't say anything.

Right… _"Like I'm going to believe that but alright…"_

**"Yes. Now you should go enjoy yourself,"** Messiah tacked on quickly. Messiah's a really bad liar. I should have known.

Anyways, I slipped the item that Messiah and Orpheus made into my pocket and quickly caught up with Nyx who was standing just outside of the doors that led into Be Blue V.

**_"Wow…"_** Nyx whispered as she looked around the mall. I knew before that there were the lights, tinsel and general decorations put up around the mall. They always did that. But there was even a sound system around this time, not to mention several couples. Are we caught up in a Christmas event I don't know about? I'm supposed to know about all of them!

I looked up at the sky, and it seemed that most of the clouds from before had cleared up, lifting up the thick curtains to reveal a clear, navy blue night sky. I couldn't see that many stars, since there were always a lot of lights on around the city that made it so we couldn't see any of them but this time it seemed that we could. Why do I feel like there are even more shenanigans involved in this that ever?

All of sudden, music started playing and everyone around us started moving to the rhythm of the slow melody and beat. Well… I guess this is probably the luckiest night of my life right now… The fact that my first date ever with Nyx was on Christmas eve and that there was an event going on at the same time didn't already say that, of course… That's something…

I took the dumbstruck Nyx by her hand and waist and started moving along to the music as best I could. I couldn't exactly say I was the best dancer in the world, but I knew enough to be able to move in time to the music. It was my thing after all.

**_"What are you doing?"_** Nyx whispered to me, only now starting to move now that she had a grasp on the situation.

"I'm taking you on a dance… what else do you think I'm doing?" I chuckled, twirling her around.

Nyx looked like she was about to retort to what I just said, but kept her mouth shut and only smiled. **_"Alright, alright… just tell me next time,"_** she pouted. It might've sounded like she was complaining, but I could tell that it was the one thing that she wanted to happen now that she had realised what was happening at the mall.

I only chuckled at that, finally letting her ease into the beat of the music that was coming on.

It was probably hours before the event ended, and by then there was no-one else around to see.

"Nyx… I… I have something I want to ask…" I looked away sheepishly, trying to avoid her gaze.

**_"What is it?"_** Nyx asked.

"I know that you're not human and maybe this kind of thing doesn't matter to you or whatever…" Oh Thanatos, why am I getting so much more embarrassed? I finally looked up again, curious to her reaction.

**_"Y-yeah?"_** she replied nervously. Her cheeks were shimmering… She was really blushing right now? There was something about the look in her eyes that told me that she knew kinda where this was going. I guess… I better just bite the bullet.

"Would you…" I bit my lip, becoming extremely nervous. "Would you…"

Without me saying anything Nyx gestured for me not to say anymore. **_"You don't need to say anymore… I know what you want to say… And even I don't know how to say it for sure…"_**

**_"So the one question I have is…"_** she whispered in my ear, **_"Would you be with me forever if you had the chance?"_**

"Until death doth do us apart," I said.

Nyx smiled at that. **_"You're so cheesy sometimes… but I don't mind,"_** she giggled.

I fumbled around for the ring on my pocket and when I finally found it, I clenched it tight within my grip. "Things are going to get even more cheesy," I chuckled and knelt down on my knee, taking a gentle grasp of Nyx's hand and slipping the silver band onto her ring finger.

**_"Huh, you're right. It just did,"_** she laughed, although she didn't seem to really care despite her words. She looked down at the ring, taking in its silver lustre and the cyan blue gem on it. **_"But I think it was in the best way possible."_**

I finally stood up after that, holding her in a hug. I chuckled slightly and whispered, "I love you, Nyx."

**_"I love you too, Minato,"_** she replied.

* * *

AN: Ermahgerd, a chapter NOT taking a week to update!? Something must be different! Well yeah, there are different things. I cut the target word count I was going for in half, and instead of taking weeks, it took about three days instead! A stress free wolf for writing, WHOO!

And yeah, this was a filler chapter. But this was probably the best filler chapter that I've ever done. I absolutely loved writing this chapter… Welp, here's to seeing some faster updates from NTL! =D

Tell me what you think of the new length please, and anything else! Sayoonara for now~!


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